GIFT  o 


PRINCIPLES 


OF  THE 


MAIL    ORDER 
BUSINESS 


BY  ARTHUR   E.   SWETT 


PUBLISHED  BY 

ARTHUR    E.   SWETT 

Royal   Insurance   Building 

CHICAGO 


Price,  $1.00 


SIXTH   EDITION 


Preface 


I  present  the  sixth  edition  of  Principles  of  the 
Mail  Order  Business  with  the  hope  that  it  will  be 
found  of  interest  to  mail  order  men  and  those  who 
desire  to  start  in  this  business.  The  information 
this  book  contains  is  put  in  compact  form. 

Should  you  desire  my  services  in  any  branch  of 
mail  order  advertising,  whether  placing,  designing, 
writing  or  illustrating,  I  should  be  pleased  to  hear 
from  you,  and  will  give  your  letter  prompt  and 
careful  attention. 

I  can.  be  of  service  to  you,  no  matter  what 
stage  your  business  has  reached.  I  have  the  capital 
and  facilities  to  handle  an  appropriation  in  the  mail 
order  papers  of  any  size  and  can  put  you  in  the  right 
direction  towards  making  money,  as  I  do  not  work 

from  theory,  but  practical  experience. 

j( 
The    numerous   advertisements    shown   in   this 

book    have    been    written    and    placed   by   me   in 
various  '  'mail  order' '  papers  throughout  the  country. 

Respectfully  yours, 

Arthur  E.  Swett 
442711 


Principles  of  the  Mail  Order 
Business 


CHAPTER  I. 
Introductory  Remarks. 


There  is  no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the 
mail  order  business  is  the  great  money- 
making  field  of  to-day  for  the  bright 
man  with  a  few  dollars  capital,  who 
knows  how  to  take  advantage  of  his 
opportunities. 

Here  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
we  have  nearly  100,000,000  people,  and 
you  can  reach  them  all  through  your 
advertisements  and  circulars.  Even 
those  who  cannot  read  and  write  can 
be  reached,  for  even  though  they  can- 
not read  your  advertisements  you  can 
find  agents  who  will  reach  them  and 
transact  your  business  for  you.  Out  of 
this  vast  army  of  people,  if  you  cannot 
succeed  in  doing  enough  business  with 
them  to  make  a  living,  there  is  probably 
no  other  -business  in  which  you  could 
succeed. 

CONDITIONS    FAVORABLE. 

Conditions  are  certainly  favorable  for 
starting  a  mail  order  business. 

You  do  not  come  in  personal  contact 
with  your  customers,  but  influence  them 
entirely  through  advertisements,  printed 
circulars,  catalogues,  etc.  There  are 
many  things  that  people  will  buy  by 
mail  that  they  cannot  get  at  home.  You 
can  also  sell  your  goods  at  wholesale 
t6  agents  who  will  send  cash  with  every 
order,  so  that  you  make  an  immense 
profit  on  every  lot  of  goods  that  you 
sell. 

You  can  put  on  the  market  through 
this  method  some  article  of  your  own 
invention  or  manufacture,  or  you  can 
obtain  such  goods  in  quantities  from 
other  manufacturers  and  put  them  on 
the  market  in  your  own  way.  There 
are  a  number  of  firms  who  make  a  spe- 
cialty of  manufacturing  goods  suitable 
for  the  mail  order  trade,  such  as  novel- 


ties, useful  household  articles,  medicinal 
specialties,  etc.,  whose  names  are  given 
in  another  part  of  this  book. 

Just  what  articles  you  will  select  and 
just  what  methods  of  cataloguing  or 
describing  to  employ,  which  would  in- 
volve other  details,  are,  of  course,  mat- 
ters to  be  considered  in  each  specific 
case.  It  is  useless  to  say  that  you  must 
have  enough  business  ability  to .  work 
these  out  for  yourself. 

The  aim  should  be  to  arrange  for 
mail  order  sales  either  direct  to  the  con- 
sumer or  through  agents  who  will  be 
allowed  a  suitable  commission. 

STILL  ROOM  IN  THE  MAIL 
ORDER  FIELD. 

Some  pessimists  are  inclined  to  think 
that  the  mail  order  business  is  being 
overdone,  and  that  there  is  a  reaction 
among  the  people  at  large  against  this 
form  of  trading. 

Of  course  it  is  not  so  easy  to  succeed 
in  the  mail  order  business  now  as  it 
was  a  few  years  ago,  when  there  was 
much  less  competition.  This  is  espe- 
cially true  in  case  the  business  is  started 
and  conducted  along  the  same  lines  as 
followed  by  scores  of  other  mail  deal- 
ers. But  the  man  with  an  original  and 
meritorious  selling  scheme,  or  a  novel 
and  useful  specialty,  need  not  hold  back 
because  there  has  been  some  dullness 
in  the  mail  order  trade  during  the  past 
few  years.  The  concern  with  a  reason 
for  existing,  that  will  advertise  its 
goods  persistently  and  well,  is  as  sure 
of  succeeding  as  ever. 

The  people  are  prosperous  and  have 
the  money  to  buy.  The  scores  who 
went  into  the  mail  order  business  on 
five  dollars'  capital  during  the  past  few 
years  are  being  weeded  out.  The  field 


OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


'  iV  being  !ett  open  f->r  ih-ose  who  have 
their  own  plan  and  their  own  literature. 

The  great  mail  order  successes  are  in 
the  future,  not  in  the  past — never  doubt 
that  fact.  Desirable  goods  are  still  be- 
ing sold  in  immense  quantities  by  mail. 
Both  new  and  old  concerns  are  getting 
their  share  of  this  business. 

The  aggregate  of  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness done  is  increasing  steadily.  Even 
the  scheme  of  a  fakey  order,  which  of- 
fers much  for  little  and  gives  little  for 
much,  is  still  drawing,  where  it  is  clev- 
erly devised  and  convincingly  written, 
but  this  is  not  the  most  profitable 
branch  of  the  mail  order  business. 

The  mail  order  houses  have  done  for 
country  consumers  what  the  depart- 
ment stores  had  already  done  for  urban 
and  suburban  purchasers — established  a 
fairer  range  of  prices.  Even  where  the 
country  buyer  does  not  patronize  the 
mail  order  man,  he  is  benefited  by  mail 
order  methods.  He  gets  the  opportunity 
to  buy  a  better  grade  of  goods  in  a 
wider  range  of  styles  at  a  far  smaller 
margin  of  profit  than  he  would  be 
obliged  to  pay  if  it  were  not  for  the 
mail  dealer's  competition. 

"The  old  order  changes,  giving  place 
to  new,"  and  the  new  order  is  a  far 
better  one  for  trie  great  mass  of  the 
people.  Of  course,  country  middlemen 
who  expect  as  large  a  profit  for  merely 
handling  the  article  as  the  manufacturer 
gets  for  it  after  purchasing  raw  mate- 
rial and  putting  it  out  ready  for  the 
market,  will  not  think  much  of  the  new 
way.  But  the  fittest  will  survive  and 
adapt  themselves  to  the  new  order. 

REQUIRES   BRAINS  AND   TIME. 

To  get  established  in  a  paying  mail 
order  business  requires  brains  and  time. 
Of  course,  some  money  is  needed,  but 
if  that  is  not  plentiful,  the  business  can 
be  started  on  a  very  small  scale .  and 
gradually  developed. 

If  you  have  no  idea  as  to  what  spe- 
cialty or  line  of  goods  you  will  take  up, 
write  to  thfi  different  manufacturers, 
etc.,  and  make  your  selection ;  also  read 
the  advertising  that  appears  in  the  pa- 
pers, magazines,  etc.,  that  reach  country 
people  and  see  what  others  are  adver- 
tising by  mail.  Do  not  copy  anyone 
else's,  scheme,  however,  and  as  far  as 
possible  avoid  imitation,  but  pick  out  all 
the  good  ideas  you  can. 

Mail    order    firms    come    from    every 


conceivable  source.  There  are  many 
manufacturers  of  staple  articles  who 
want  to  do  more  business  than  their 
present  method  of  doing  business 
through  jobbers  will  allow.  These 
sometimes  start  a  retail  mail  order 
business  under  a  different  name  so  as 
not  to  conflict  with  their  regular  line, 
and  they  find  it  a  quick  and  easy  method 
of  building  up  a  profitable  business.  An 
advertisement  in  a  paper,  offering  some 
specialty  at  a  lower  price  than  it  can  be 
secured  at  the  local  store,  has  enabled 
many  a  manufacturer  to  get  in  money 
quickly  to  weather  a  financial  storm. 

GETS  RETURNS  QUICK. 

There  are  many  large  general  adver- 
tisers who,  many  imagine,  must  be 
making  fortunes,  simply  because  they 
are  spending  a  great  deal  of  money, 
who  may  not  even  be  getting;  their 
money  back  and  probably  will  not  for 
many  months  to  come.  General  adver- 
tising is  simply  an  investment,  and  it 
requires  a  long  time  to  realize  on  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  hundreds 
of  small  mail  order  advertisers  who 
have  large  places  of  business  and  em- 
ploy dozens  of  clerks,  who  are  really 
making  money  from  the  results  of  small 
ads  that  these  big  announcements  seem 
to  overshadow.  It  is  simply  because 
the  mail  order  advertiser  gets  his  re- 
turns direct  and  quick  and  turns  his 
appropriations  over  and  over  again, 
while  the  general  advertiser  is  com- 
pelled to  keep  on  spending  more  money 
or  lose  the  results  of  everything  he  has 
put  in  it. 

NOT  INTERFERE  WITH  REGU- 
LAR TRADE. 

The  business  that  he  does  direct  with 
the  customer  would  not  interfere  with 
his  regular  trade.  It  would  come  from 
sections  of  the  country  where  he  would 
not  be  represented  by  stores.  Should 
an  order  come  from  a  section  in  which 
he  was  represented,  the  sale  could  be 
made  by  allowing  the  dealer  in  that  sec- 
tion to  handle  it. 

The  business  that  is  done  by  mail  is 
all  cash  business.  Mail  order  buyers 
do  not  expect,  nor  ask  for  credit. 

The  business  is  also  done  on  a  low 
margin  of  expense.  There  is  no  store 
rent  or  clerk  hire — the  only  cost  to  be 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


added  to  the  cost  of  the  manufacture  is 
that  of  advertising. 

If  you  are  already  doing  a  successful 
business  on  a  small  scale,  it  is  safe  to 
assume  that  you  have, a  meritorious  ar- 
ticle that  could  be  sold  far  more  widely 
if  you  would  but  tell  the  people  about 
it.  That's  advertising — by  its  means  you 
can  reach  practically  the  whole  Ameri- 
can public. 

The  cost  of  advertising  in  mail  order 
publications  is  cheap  and  results  are  a 
certainty  in  the  right  mediums  and  with 
attractive  announcements. 

Many  manufacturers  have  taken  al- 
vantage  of  the  opportunity  presented  to 
them,  and  no  doubt  many  others  will, 
too,  when  they  become  fully  alive  to  the 
richness  of  the  mail  order  field. 

To  give  an  idea  of  what  it  would  cost 
to  attractively  advertise  an  article  of 
merchandise  in  such  a  manner  as  to  sell 
the  goods  direct  from  the  advertisement, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  the  rate 
per  line  per  thousand  circulation,  in  the 
monthlies  that  circulate  among  mail  or- 
der buyers,  is,  after  deducting  discounts, 
about  one-third  of  a  cent  per  line  per 
thousand  circulation.  That  would  mean 
that  by  using  a  space  of  six  inches,  ev- 
ery thousand  papers  in  which  your  an- 
nouncement appears  would  cost  you 
about  28  cents. 

By  using  a  six-inch  space  you  have 
an  advertisement  so  striking  that  every 
reader  of  the  -paper  could  not  help  but 
see  it. 

That  would  mean  that  for  every 
twenty-eight  cents  you  can  have  one 
thousand  possible  buyers  read  your  ad- 
vertisement. The  number  of  readers 
that  would  respond  to  your  advertise- 
ment would  depend  upon  what  the  arti- 
cle was  and  the  price  at  which  it  was 
offered. 

THE   MANUFACTURER'S    OPPOR- 
TUNITY. 

Economical  distribution  of  a  manufac- 
tured product  is  quite  as  important  a 
consideration  to  the  manufacturer  as 
economical  production.  It  is  true,  a 
large  volume  of  business  can  be  built 
up  through  the  old  channels  of  distrib- 
uting through  wholesalers,  jobbers  and 
retailers,  maintaining  an  expensive  corps 
of  salesmen  and  depending  largely  up- 
on the  efforts  of  retailers  to  build  up  a 
demand  for  the  product.  The  experi- 
ence of  scores  of  manufacturers  in  re- 


cent years,  however,  proves  that  a  much 
better  way  to  quickly  and  effectively 
create  a  demand,  and  economically  to 
supply  it,  is  by  the  institution  of  a  mail 
order  system  or  department  which  serves 
as  a  direct  medium  between  the  manu- 
facturer and  the  consumer. 

•  The  opportunity  for  doing  a  profitable 
mail  order  business  is  one  which  the 
manufacturer  cannot  afford  to  ignore  in 
face  of  the  tremendous  amount  of  evi- 
dence that  it  is  a  practicable  and  profit- 
able undertaking. 

To  market  an  article  through  mail 
order  advertising  means  to  quickly  in- 
troduce it  to  the  most  responsive  buy- 
ing public  on  earth.  There  are,  in  the 
United  States  alone,  millions  of  people 
who  depend  upon  the  advertisements  in 
their  favorite  family  papers  to  supply 
nearly  all  their  wants.  It  must  be 
clearly  understood  that  mail  order  busi- 
ness does  not  consist  entirely  in  catch- 
penny trade  with  boys  and  girls.  True, 
this  trade  which  superficially  appears  in- 
consequential and  trifling,  is  an  exceed- 
ingly and  highly  profitable  branch  of  the 
mail  order  business.  From  the  manu- 
facturer's viewpoint,  however,  any  arti- 
cle of  merit,  which  can  be  sold  at  all, 
can  be  marketed  through  mail  order 
channels,  and  this  can  be  done  far  more 
cheaply  and  a  great  deal  more  quickly 
than  through  the  usual  chain  of  sales- 
man, wholesaler,  jobber  and  retailer. 

There  are  two  plans  followed  which 
are  known  to  be  successful  and  in  which 
successful  methods  are,  at  this  time, 
pretty  well  known.  The  first  consists  in 
establishing  a  mail  order  department,  or 
in  marketing  the  entire  output  of  a  fac- 
tory by  mail,  by  means  of  advertising 
in  various  publications,  and  following 
up  with  catalogues,  circulars,  price  lists, 
form  letters,  etc.  Many  manufacturers 
establish  such  a  system  and  maintain  it 
to  the  end  without  attempting  to  work 
in  connection  with  the  retailer.  The 
business  becomes  simply  a  mail  order 
business,  dealing  directly  with  the  con- 
sumer and  filling  orders  directly  from 
the  factory.  An  example  of  this  plan 
is  the  Kalamazoo  Stove  Co.,  whose  ad- 
vertisements, usually  headed  "A  Kala- 
mazoo, Direct  to  You,"  are  familiar  to 
the  mail  order  buying  public  of  the.  en- 
tire United  States.  The  other  plan  is 
instanced  by  the  Ostermoor  Mattress 
Co.  and  the  Regal  Shoe  Co.  These  con- 
cerns first  built  up  a  large  demand  for 
their  product,  soliciting  direct  mail  or- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ders  and  filling  these  orders  direct  to 
the  consumer.  Later,  however,  after  the 
demand  was  well  established,  they  trans- 
ferred the  business  to  dealers,  thus 
achieving  their  end  of  placing  their 
products  on  sale  everywhere  with  retail 
dealers  without  the  intervention  of  eith- 
er wholesaler,  jobber  or  salesman. 

By  either  of  these  plans  a  manufac- 
turer is  enabled  to  provide  practically 
a  -limitless  outlet  for  a  product,  and  it 
is  easily  proven  that  the  selling  cost  by 
this  plan  is  ridiculously  small,  com- 
pared with  the  selling  cost  by  the  com- 
plicated method  of  marketing  through 
middlemen.  A  given  quantity  of  any 
product  can  be  sold  much  quicker,  cred- 
its and  losses  are  entirely  eliminated, 
because  mail  order  business  is  a  cash 
business,  and  a  demand  once  created 
becomes  an  asset  of  the  manufacturer 
and  may  not  be  transferred  to  some 
other  manufacturer  or  product -through 
the  caprice  of  salesmen  or  retailers. 
Competition  is  no  more  keen  in  the 
mail  order  business  than  outside  of  it. 
Such  a  business  is  more  satisfactory 
in  many  ways,  requires  a  smaller  or- 
ganization for  the  handling  of  a  given 
volume  of  business,  and  if  rightly  con- 
ducted, invariably  shows  a  larger  mar- 
gin of  profit  accruing  to  the  manufac- 
turer than  he  could  otherwise  hope  for. 

Time  after  time,  a  manufacturer 
whose  business  might  be  said  just 
barely  to  exist,  has  turned  the  tide  in 
his  favor  and  achieves  a  gratifying — 
even  phenomenal — success,  by  inaugura- 
ting the  mail  order  method  of  market- 
ing his  product. 

The  chief  requisite  in  launching 
such  an  innovation  is  for  the  manufac- 
turer to .  get  in  touch  with  some  one 
capable  of  making  an  intelligent  and 
searching  analysis  of  the  product,  the 
field,  etc.,  and  of  creating  advertising 
and  literature  which  will  be  effective, 
selecting  mediums,  which  are  adapted 
to  the  proposition  and  will  produce 
results,  and  looking  after  the  many 
details  which  necessarily  arise,  wholly 
apart  and  aside  from  the  mere 
receiving,  handling  and  filling  of 
orders.  It  has  been  convincingly  dem- 
onstrated that  this  part  of  the  thing  can 
best  be  done  by  a  properly  equipped 
advertising  agency,  which  has  a  record 
of  success  with  this  particular  class  of 
business.  The  agency  of  which  I  am 
the  executive  head  has  been  very  suc- 


cessful in  placing  the  business  of  manu- 
facturers at  once  upon  a  successful 
basis.  Correspondence  is  solicited  from 
any  manufacturer  who  may  be  consid- 
ering the  advisability  of  instituting  a 
mail  order  department,  or  of  changing 
his  method  of  marketing  his  product  to 
the  mail  order  method. 

THE  WHOLESALE   MAIL   ORDER 
TRADE. 

If  you  are  a  publisher,  manufacturer 
or  jobber,  and  have  goods  which  are 
adapted  to  the  mail  order  trade,  it  will 
pay  you  well  to  arrange  to  supply  mail 
order  dealers  at  wholesale  rates,  should 
you  not  care  to  deal  direct  with  the 
consumer. 

If  you  have  a  good  article  or  line  of 
articles,  and  will  advertise  them,  you 
can  in  a  short  time  make  arrangements 
with  scores  of  hustling  advertisers  and 
circular  mailers  to  handle  your  goods. 

To  attain  the  greatest  measure  of 
success  in  this  line,  however,  you 
should  have  a  good  line  of  advertising 
matter  prepared  describing  the  goods, 
and  supply  such  dealers  as  do  not  care 
to  go  to  the  expense  of  having-  matter 
written,  printed  and  illustrated  for  their 
own  exclusive  use.  You  should  not  at- 
tempt to  make  a  profit  on  the  advertis- 
ing matter,  but  should  sell  it  to  dealers 
at  cost.  This  literature  should,  of 
course,  be  well  gotten  up ;  the  amount 
of  the  sales  will  depend  upon  this.  You 
can  well  afford  to  have  an  expert  write 
and  illustrate  it.  It  should  be  well- 
printed  on  a  fair  grade  of  paper,  and 
should  not  give  the  impression  of  being 
too  cheap.  Having  the  matter  electro- 
typed  and  run  off  in  large  editions  will 
reduce  the  cost  so  that  you  can  sell  it 
to  dealers  at  a  price  lower  than  they 
would  have  to  pay  for  crude,  poorly- 
printed  stuff,  if  ordered  in  small  quan- 
tities at  a  printer's.  Electros  should  be 
furnished  such  dealers  who  are  getting 
up  a  catalogue  of  their  own  and  wish 
to  list  any  of  the  articles  that  you 
handle.  In  fact,  if  you  want  this  trade, 
you  should  give  dealers  every  induce- 
ment to  handle  your  goods.  Most 
houses  which  wholesale  articles  for  the 
mail  order  trade  fill  orders  direct  to  the 
dealers'  customers,  charging  enough 
extra  on  the  one  article  to  reimburse 
them  for  their  trouble,  of  course.  It  is 
advisable  to  do -this,  especially  in  case 
of  higher  priced  articles.  Many  manu- 


PRINCIPLES   OF-  THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


facturers  have  lately  gone  into  this  line, 
to  the  great  increase  of  their  sales  and 
profits.  You  do  not  need  to  have  a 
small  novelty  in  order  to  do  this  kind 
of  business,  though  a  meritorious  nov- 
elty is  a  good  seller.  Any  standard 
line  can  be  sold  by  mail  order  dealers; 
if  it  is  not  generally  handled  by  coun- 
try dealers,  so  much  the  better.  If  it  is 
different  from  a  similar  article  usually 
kept  in  stock  by  retailers,  and  the  differ- 
ence is  of  such  a  character  as  to  give 
the  advertising  man  a  chance  to  exploit 
this  difference  as  making  it  more  mer- 
itorious, well  and  good.  If  you  can  sell 
it  at  a  price  which  will  enable  the  mail 
order  dealer  to  undersell  the  retailer, 
or  claim  to,  this  is  another  advantage. 
Merely  being  different  will  often  make 
goods  sell  to  the  country  trade.  There 
are  lots  of  people  who  do  not  want  the 
same  kind  of  articles  as  their  neighbors 
have.  There  are  firms  already  supply- 
ing stock  catalogues  and  circulars  of 
many  lines,  but  there  are  plenty  of 
openings  for  desirable  goods.  Every 
mail  order  man  is  continually  on  the 
lookout  for  such. 

If   you   wish   to   go   into    this   branch 
of  the  business,  I  will  prepare  the  mat- 


ter and  illustrations  for  your  stock  cir- 
cular, booklet  or  catalogue.  If  I  get 
this  matter  up,  you  may  depend  upon 
it  that  it  will  pull  the  orders  for  your 
customers.  It  will  be  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  its  strength  will  be  evident 
to  any  mail  order  man  of  experience 
who  gives  it  a  casual  examination. 

You  should  also  have  a  good  strong 
form  letter  to  send  out  to  inquirers.  In 
this  form  letter  you  should  call  atten- 
tion to  the  merits  of  .the  goods,  and  to 
the  fact  that  the  articles  will  give  the 
purchasers  satisfaction  so  that  they  will 
order  other  goods,  that  this  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  make  the  mail  order 
business  profitable,  selling  standard 
lines.  You  should  call  attention  to  the 
stock  advertising  matter  enclosed,  tell 
them  it  is  proving  the  strongest  kind  of 
a  puller,  as  all  who  have  sent  it  out 
testify.  Then  give  prices  on  the  circu- 
lar matter,  with  imprint  and  without, 
and  price  on  the  goods  in  large  lots, 
and  on  one  article  shipped  separately  to 
a  customer. 

I  will  write  up  all  this  matter  for 
you,  in  a  way  that  will  assure  you  a 
successful  start  in  the  wholesale  branch 
of  the  mail  order  field. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  II. 
Some  Essentials  of  Mail  Order  Success. 


Whatever  the  line  of  business,  there 
are  certain  elemental  essentials  of  suc- 
cess similar  in  all  cases.  First  place, 
you  must  have  goods  to  sell.  They 
must  be  goods  of  merit  which  will  give 
satisfaction  and  which  can  be  sold  at  a 
reasonable  price.  If  you  are  already 
in  some  line  of  retail  or  wholesale  busi- 
ness, but  wish  to  branch  out  and  sell 
by  mail,  you  have  a  good  opportunity 
to  establish  a  mail  order  business.  Per- 
haps you  have  some  family  remedy 
which  you  know  to  be  a  good  thing,  and 
which  has  accomplished  cures,  or  per- 
haps you  have  a  patent  on  some  article, 
or  perhaps  you  are  doing  some  business 
in  the  regular  channels  of  trade  and 
wish  to  enlarge  your  business  by  enter- 
ing the  mail  order  field.  In  any  such 
instance  it  is  first  necessary  to  provide 
the  goods  which  you  will  sell,  or,  at 
least,  make  definite  arrangements  so 
they  can  be  procured  promptly  when 
needed  to  fill  orders. 

Again,  you  may  have  no  idea  as  to 
what  you  will  sell,  but  merely  have  a 
desire  to  start  in  some  business  for 
yourself  in  which  there  would  be  oppor- 
tunity for  the  creation  of  a  solid,  sub- 
stantial, permanent  business  to  which 
you  could  devote  your  life.  You  could 
not  do  better  than  to  consider  the  mail 
order  business  in  this  connection,  but 
if  you  do  you  should  consider  well  what 
you  are  handling  or  what  branch  of  the 
mail  order  business  offers  the  most 
promising  field. 

It  is  here  in  the  selection  of  a  line  of 
goods  or  a  proposition  that  the  guid- 
ance and  counsel  of  an  experienced  and 
conscientious  mail  order  man  is  of  tre- 
mendous value.  Much  money  is  wasted 
in  ill-advised  ventures  which  could 
not  be  a  success  for  any  one  of  a  hun- 
dred reasons,  but  which  might  look  very 
promising  to  the  inexperienced  novice 
depending  upon  his  own  judgment 
alone,  or  the  superficial  appearance  of 
success  presented  by  similar  proposi- 
tions. 

A  careful  decision  with  reference  to 


the  proposition  which  will  be  taken  up, 
or  the  line  of  goods  which  will  be  sold, 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  and  should 
not  be  hastily  made.  There  are  many 
things  to  be  taken  into  consideration,  as, 
for  instance,  the  previous  training  of 
the  mail  order  man,  his  knowledge  con- 
cerning some  particular  line  of  goods, 
the  amount  of  capital  available,  the  loca- 
tion of  the  business,  proximity  to 
sources  of  supply,  shipping  facilities, 
and  such  things.  Once  the  line  or  the 
proposition  is  determined  upon  the  next 
important  consideration  is 

THE  PLAN. 

A  retail  store  may  be  conducted  with- 
out any  particular  plan  or  scheme  of 
selling.  Not  so  a  mail  order  business. 
There  must  be  in  every  mail  order  busi- 
ness, large  or  small,  a  well-defined  plan 
or  system  upon  which  the  business  is 
conducted.  What  this  means  can,  per- 
haps, best  be  shown  by  an  illustration. 
The  1900  Washer  Co.,  in  all  of  its  ad- 
vertising, emphasizes  the  fact  that  the 
washer  will  be  sent  on  thirty  days'  free 
trial.  Throughout  the  follow-up  litera- 
ture this  point  is  strongly  impressed, 
and  the  endeavor  is  made  to  get  the 
customer  to  order  a  washer  on  trial. 
Of  course,  when  analyzed,  it  is  seen  this 
offer  means  that  the  customer  must  first 
send  the  price  of  the  washer  before  get- 
ting the  goods,  and  that  if  found  un- 
satisfactory in  any  way,  the  sum  will 
be  returned.  Briefly,  this  is  the  plan 
followed  by  that  concern.  There  are 
almost  as  many  plans  as  there  are  mail 
order  propositions  in  operation,  and  up- 
on the  fortunate  selection  or  creation 
of  a  plan  depends  largely  the  success  of 
a  new  mail  order  venture. 

Again,  foresight  and  careful  investi- 
gation is  a  necessity.  Mail  order  busi- 
ness to-day  does  not  consist  merely  in 
placing  a  few  ads,  receiving  orders  and 
shipping  goods.  There  is  much  to  be 
provided  for  between  the  appearance  of 
the  ad  and  banking  the  profits.  Experi- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ence  has  shown  that  it  is  much  more 
profitable  to  employ  a  competent  ex- 
pert to  devise  a  plan  that  will  work 
smoothly,  without  waste  and  without 
confusion,  than  for  the  mail  order  man 
to  attempt,  by  blind  experimenting  and 
the  severe  lessons  of  experience,  to 
eventually  find  the  way  to  success.  Peo- 
ple who  make  a  business  of  building 
mail  order  plans  are  no  more  nearly 
infallible  than  other  people.  There  is 
no  question  that  the  percentage  of  suc- 
cesses made  by  concerns  which,  in  the 
beginning,  have  enlisted  the  aid  of  an 
expert,  is  overwhelmingly  higher  than 
the  percentage  of  successes  made  by 
those  who  have  not. 

A  properly  constructed  plan  takes  in- 
to consideration  several  different  things. 
Not  only  does  it  comprehend  the  plan 
•  itself,  but  such  matters  as  copy,  medi- 
ums, systems  for  keeping  accurate  rec- 
ords of  the  business,  the  proper  han- 
dling, billing  and  shipping  of  goods,  and 
many  other  details  which  need  not  be 
enumerated.  The  vital  point  is,  that 
there  must  be  a  plan  complete  in  every 
way,  and  with  each  integral  part  co- 
ordinated with  and  working  in  har- 
mony with  every  other  part.  Success 
nowadays  cannot  reasonably  be  expect- 
ed with  hit-or-miss,  haphazard  methods, 
nor  with  a  supine  dependence  upon 
Providence,  or  a  sort  of  sublimated 
fatalism  which  hopes  blindly  and  ignores 
the  value  of  preparation. 

Many  of  those  who  attempt  to  enter 
the  mail  order  business  do  so  on  very 
small  capital  and  expect  in  a  few  years' 
time  to  retire  with  a  fortune.  They 
have  the  idea  that  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness is  a  get-rich-quick  scheme  that  re- 
quires no  brain,  no  ability,  and  no  in- 
dustry. They  seem  to  think  that  all  that 
is  required  is  to^  "get  in"  the  business, 
and  the  profits  will  flow  into  their  pock- 
ets with  little  thought  or  effort  on  their 
part. 

The  mail  dealer  who  has  a  good  arti- 
cle, a  good  plan,  and  enough  capital  to 
see  him  through  the  first  stage  of  the 
game  has  a  better  chance  to  succeed  in 
this  business  than  he  would  have  in  any 
other  mercantile  business,  provided  he 
also  brings  intelligence  and  industry  in- 
to the  combination. 

There  must  be  something  novel  and 
attractive  about  either  the  article  itself 
or  the  selling  plan.  People  buy  goods 
by  mail  either  because  they  can  get  low- 


er prices  on  the  goods  or  else  because 
the  advertiser  makes  them  believe  that 
the  goods  are  different  and  much  better 
than  competing  lines.  The  plan  is  at 
the  very  center  of  the  mail  order  propo- 
sition that  is  to  be  started  on  small  cap- 
ital. One  cannot  expect  to  get  many  in- 
quiries or  many  orders  if  he  sells  the 
same  old  goods  in  the  same  old  way. 

To  offer  a  gold-filled  watch  for  twelve 
dollars  will  bring  comparatively  few  in- 
quiries and  fewer  orders,  but  offer  this 
watch  free  to  agents  who  will  show  it 
and  the  advertiser  will  be  overwhelmed 
with  letters  asking  for  particulars.  Of 
course,  the  free  offer  will  have  a  string 
to  it,  but  if  the  plan  is  attractive  and  the 
argument  plausible,  many  who  write  can 
be  persuaded  to  buy. 

Originality  is  called  for  in  the  mail 
order  business.  There  is  no  business  in 
which  original  thought  and  sound  busi- 
ness judgment  will  pay  larger  returns. 
The  mail  dealer  cannot -expect  to  suc- 
ceed by  using  stock  circulars  that  scores 
or  hundreds  of  others  are  sending  out. 
If  one  must  sell  standard  goods  or 
goods  that  are  neither  novel  nor  exclu- 
sive, let  him  at  least  build  a  new  selling 
plan  around  them.  Let  him  at  least 
have  his  own  literature  written  and  not 
try  to  sell  the  goods  by  using  the  same 
arguments,  word  for  word,  that  his 
competitors  are  using. 

Many  a  business  that  once  paid  well 
has  reached  the  stage  of  dry  rot  because 
the  old  goods  and  the  old  plans  have 
lost  their  pulling  power,  and  the  owners 
of  the  business  haven't  the  originality 
to  devise  something  new  that  will  regal- 
vanize  the  business.  Such  concerns  will 
speedily  give  up  the  ghost  if  new  life 
is  not  injected  in  their  veins. 

THE  AMOUNT   OF   CAPITAL. 

Because  a  man  starts  in  the  mail 
order  business  with  small  capital  is  no 
sign  that  he  is  going  to  fail.  Because 
another  has  several  thousand  back  of 
him  is  no  sure  evidence  that  he  is  going 
to  make  a  success  of  it.  This  is  the 
same  in  every  line  of  business  and 
human  effort.  It  all  depends  upon  the 
man. 

We  see  John  Wanamaker  starting 
without  a  dollar  and  becoming  the  best 
known  merchant  in  America.  We  see 
Hilton,  Hughes  &  Co.  starting  with  a 
large  capital  and  with  the  prestige  of 


10 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


the  Stewart  store  and  the  Stewart  clien- 
tele back  of  them,  dropping  millions  in 
the  rat  hole.  After  Hilton,  Hughes  & 
Co.  have  acknowledged  failure  and  quit 
business  in  disgust  we  see  John  Wana- 
maker  take  hold  of  it  and  build  it  up 
to  greater  proportions  than  it  ever 
reached  during  the  Stewart  regime. 

If  you  have  business  ability,  grit  and 
industry,  do  not  be  deterred  from  em- 
barking in  the  mail  order  business  be- 
cause of  small  capital.  Start  in  a  small 
way — run  the  business  as  a  side  line  at 
first,  if  necessary — if  you  are  cut  out 
for  a  mail  order  man  you  will  gradually 
put  the  business  on  a  firmer  foundation. 
Ideas  and  resourcefulness  count  more 
than  does  mere  capital. 

Do  not  heed  the  theorists  who  declare 
that  unless  an  advertiser  can  use  large 
space  he  would  better  not  advertise  at 
all.  That  is  nonsense.  Some  of  the 


smaller  ads  have  been  appearing  in  the 
mail  order  papers  for  years.'  Some  of 
those  who  put  them  outr  have  a  net 
yearly  income  of  many  thousands  of 
dollars.  It  depends  upon  what  you 
have  to  advertise  and  how  you  adver- 
tise it. 

Caution  is  all  right  at  first.  Try  out 
the  possibilities  of  the  plan  before 
plunging  into  it.  Try  various  ads  until 
you  find  one  that  will  pull  replies  at  a 
low  cost.  When  you  have  proven  the 
plan  -a  success,  when  you  get  inquiries 
and  orders  at  a  profit-making  figure, 
spread  out  as  largely  as  you  can.  Put 
all  the  money  you  own  or  can  borrow 
into  the  thing.  An  ad  which  will  pay 
well  in  one  paper  will  usually  pay  fairly 
well  in  all  other  papers  of  the  same 
class.  Careful  planning,  economy  and 
judicious  boldness  will  win  for  you, 
even  though  you  have  but  small  capital. 


•  uyii  uiiuiuc  vJ 

$3.75.    Every  Watch  is  Exactly 


To  prove  that  we  are  selling  watches  lower  than 
'    Q  ft)  •  I  3  any  other  bouse  in  America,  we  offer  your  choice  of 
••^••••••iS  any  of  these  25  year  guaranteed  watches,  for  only 

xactly  As  Represented,  and  you  do  not  need  to  pay  one  cent  in 

advance.  Just  send  your  name  and  state  the  style  of  watch  you  want  and  we  will  send  it,  C.O.D. 

$8.?»    and    express    charges,   to   your   express   office   for   you   to  examine. 


$375 


$3 


.75    BUYS  A  GENUINE  Im.  DIAMOND 

set,  superbly  engraved  case,  which  looks  like  a  hundred  dol- 
lar watch.  Fitted  with  a  stem  wind  and  set  High-Grade 
American  Works  which  is  guaranteed  for  25  Years. 
Send  this  to  us  and  we  will  send  the  Watch  and  Gold 
Chain  and  Silk  Plush  Case  C.  O.  1>.  $3.75  and 
express  charges  to  examine.  If  as  represented  pay  $3.75 
and  express  charges  and  it  is  yours.  Write  if  you  want 
Ladles'  or  Gents'  watch. 


RAILROAD 
MAN'S  ^ 

WATCH       DUST  PROOF 


ABSOLUTELY  GUARANTEED  1OR  25  YEARS.  A  watch  that  is  good 
enough  for  any  man.  A  watch  that  will  keep  perfect  time  and  wear  forever.  The  case 
is  genuine  Solid  Sllverlne,  extra  heavy  4  oz.  case,  solid  through  and  through.  It  is 
better  than  solid  coin  silver  for  it  will  never  tarnish.  It  is  screw  back  and  screw  bezel, 
and  therefore  dust  and  damp  proof.  Just  the  watch  for  railroad  men,  mechanics, 
farmers,  and  those  who  require  a  substantial,  solid  heavy  watch  and  a  reliable 
timekeeper.  The  movement  is  in  keeping  with  the  case,  and  is  absolutely  the  Best 
Standard  American  Ruby  Jeweled  Movement  on  tha  market  today.  It  is  quick 
train,  lever  escapement,  compensation  balance,  and  has  every  improvement  known,  to 
make  an  absolutely  correct  timekeeper  and  a  watch  that  will  last  practically  forever. 
It  is  stem  wind  and  stem  set  and  absolutely  Guaranteed  For  25  Years,  both  case  and 
movement.  Handsome  "Gold"  vest  chain  free. 


A  GENUINE  21  JEWELED 
$50,00  GOLD  WATCH. 

$3.75  buys  an  elegantly  engrayed 
Double  Hunting  Case 
Watch,  fitted  with.an  accurate 
stem  wind  and  set,  high  grade  ruby 
jeweled  movement.  GIT  Alt- 
AM  BED  FOR  25  YEARS. 
Send  this  ad  to  us  and  write  if  you 
want  ladies'  watch  and  "  Gold '' 
lorgnette  chain,  or  gents'  watch 
and  vest  chain,  and  we  will  send 
them  for  free  examination,  and  if 
after  examining  the  watch  at  your 
express  office,  you  consider  it 
equal  to  a  21  jeweled  $50.00  gold 
watch,  pay  $3.75  and  express  char- 
ges, and  they  are  yours. 


REMEMBER — No  such  watch  bargains  as  above  have  ever  been  offered  before  by  any  firm  in  America.  Cut  this  ad  out, 
and  state  what  stvle  watch  you  want,  and  we  will  send  it  to  your  express  office  to  examine.  If  satisfied  it  is  a  big  bargain  pay 
express  agent  $3.75  and  charges,  andit  is  yours.  AMERICAN  JEWELRY  CO.,  Dept.  CHICAGO,  ILLS. 


A  "C.  O.  D."  watch  advertisement.  The  fact  that  the  advertiser  is  willing  to 
send  the  goods  C.  O.  D.,  subject  to  inspection  and  approval,  is  an  indication  of  good 
faith  and  makes  a  strong  argument.  For  some  reason  or  other,  the  C.  O.  D.  plan  is 
the  only  method  by  which  watches  can  be  sold  by  mail  on  a  cash  basis. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ii 


CHAPTER  III. 
How  the  Big  Catalogue  Houses  Do  It. 


There  is  scarcely  an  individual  now- 
days  who  is  unacquainted  with  the  huge 
catalogues  issued  by  Sears,  Roebuck  & 
Co.  and  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co.  The 
catalogue  itself  should  fairly  indicate  a 
large  degree  of  success,  but  many  peo- 
ple do  not  know  the  methods  which 
have  been  pursued  to  build  up  the  tre- 
mendous business  enjoyed  by  each  of 
these  mail  order  concerns.  The  evolu- 
tion of  a  customer  for  a  big  catalogue 
house  is  practically  the  same  in  every 
instance.  The  advertising  is  usually 
directed  to  the  exploitation  of  some  one 
article  which  is  attractively — even  allur- 
ingly— described  in  the  ad  and  a  price 
put  upon  it  which  is  strikingly  lower 
than  the  same  kind  of  an  article  can  be 
bought  for  at  the  local  store.  Each  ad 
carries  an  offer  of  the  big  catalogue 
free,  so  that  in  many  cases,  while  the 
article  advertised  may  not  be  purchased, 
the  reader  of  any  particular  ad  is  inter- 
ested enough  to  send  a  request  for  the 
catalogue.  If  the  article  advertised  is 
ordered,  the  catalogue  house  sees  to  it 
that  a  copy  of  the  big  catalogue  goes 
out  with  the  goods.  There  is  scarcely 
a  human  being  on  earth  who  would  be 
unable  to  find  something  in  one  of  these 
big  catalogues  that  he  or  she  wants,  and 
here  again  is  carried  out  the  policy  of 
complete,  detailed  and  attractive  descrip- 
tion of  each  article. 

A  very  large  number  of  those  who 
receive  the  catalogue  send  an  order  at 
once,  and  here  begins  the  real  evolution 
'of  a  real  customer.  Promptly  an  ack- 
nowledgment of  the  order  is  sent  the 
customer,  and  very  quickly  thereafter 
the  order  is  filled,  and  with  it  or  by  first 
mail  goes  a  letter,  thanking  the  custom- 
er for  the  order,  assuring  him  if  there 
is  anything  unsatisfactory  that  it  will 
be  satisfactorily  adjusted,  and  soliciting 
more  orders.  Always  and  eternally 
there  goes  out  to  the  customer  a  steady 
stream  of  special  catalogues,  circulars, 
price  lists,  bargain  sheets,  combination 
offers,  booklets,  etc.,  keeping  the  con- 
cern forever  in  his  mind  and  constantly 


inviting  the  sending  of  further  orders. 
Should  there  be  any  dissatisfaction  it 
is  promptly  and  agreeably  adjusted  with- 
out unnecessary  red  tape,  and  in  every 
possible  instance,  to  the  advantage  of 
the  customer,  even  though  it  entail  a 
slight  loss  to  the  house.  For  example : 
Any  unsatisfactory  goods  may  be  ship- 
ped back  to  the  house  at  their  expense,' 
and  any  forwarding  charges  which  may 
have  been  paid  .by  the  customer  are 
promptly  refunded  in  cash. 

By  these  and  similar  methods  a  cus- 
tomer once  induced  to  buy  is  carefully 
taken  care  of,  and,  by  the  mail  order 
concern,  is  regarded  as  a  tangible  asset 
to  be  retained  at  all  hazards,  and  en- 
couraged, by  every  possible  method  to 
buy  more  goods.  Further,  the  greatest 
care  is  exercised  to  the  end  that  no  mis- 
representation is  made  and  no  chance 
is  taken  of  disappointing  the  customer. 
Throughout  all  of  the  literature  of  a 
big  catalogue  house  it  will  be  found 
that  descriptions  of  goods,  while  enthu- 
siastic and  even  highly  colored,  are  ac- 
curate and  truthful.  This  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  these  two  leading  cata- 
logue houses  have  each  been  able  to 
build  up  a  clientele  of  customers  num- 
bering several  million.  It  is  partly  for 
these  reasons  that  Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co., 
for  example,  were  able  to  do  a  gross 
business  last  year  aggregating  more  than 
$40,000,000. 

The  evolution  of  the  mail  order  cus- 
tomer is  quite  natural.  The  man  in  the 
country  town  may  try  to  remain  loyal  to 
the  local  store,  on  the  principle  that  he 
is  patronizing  home  industry,  but  in  the 
long  run  prices  overrule  sentiment. 

He  concludes  after  seeing  a  finely  il- 
lustrated and  well-written  advertisement 
of  some  article,  the  price  of  which  is 
much  lower  than  he  can  buy  it  in  his 
own  town,  that  it  will  do  no  harm  to 
give  him  a  whirl,  anyway.  In  answer- 
ing this  advertisement,  he  probably  has 
little  idea  that  the  firm  who  sold  him 
this  one  article  is  doing  all  in  their 


12 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


power  to  get  him  for  a  permanent  cus- 
tomer. 

When  he  sends  the  order  in,  it  is 
promptly  acknowledged.  They  thank 
him  for  it  and  state  when  the  goods  will 
be  shipped.  With  the  letter  comes  in 
the  same  mail  their  mammoth  catalogue. 
Here  are  listed  everything  that  people 
eat,  wear  or  use  and  the  prices  in  nearly 
every  instance  are  lower  than  the  same 
goods  can  be  purchased  at  the  local 
store. 

The  promptness  with  which  the  order 
was  filled  and  the  satisfaction  in  the 
goods  encourages  further  transactions, 
and  before  long  he  has  acquired  the 
"mail  order  habit,"  and  when  he  wants 
anything  he  consults  this  big  catalogue. 
The  general  store  usually  gets  his  busi- 
ness when  he  has  something  he  wants 
to  trade  or  when  he  wants  credit. 

This  is  pretty  rough  on  the  general 
stores,  but  there  is  no  getting  around 
the  fact  that  the  large  mail  order 
houses,  with  their  thousands  of  cus- 
tomers in  all  parts  of  the  country,  can 
and  do  sell  lower  than  any  small  store. 

There  is  probably  not  another  busi- 
ness in  the  world  that  has  more  patrons 
with  whom  business  is  directly  trans- 
acted than  the  mail  order  houses.  Its 
customers  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  rich  and  poor,  ignorant  and 
educated. 

It  must  be  apparent  that  to  operate  a 
business  of  this  kind  it  would  require 
an  immense  capital,  as  most  of  the 
goods  are  carried  in  stock,  and  an  im- 
mense amount  of  help  is  required  in 
order  to  answer  their  correspondence, 
ship  the  goods,  enter  and  check  the  or- 
ders, etc.  It  is  encouraging,  however, 
to  consider  the  fact  that  each  of  these 
firms  started  on  a  small  scale  and  gradu- 
ally built  up  their  business  by  dealing 
fairly  with  their  customers  and  giving 
them  good  value  for  little  money. 

The  firm  of  Montgomery  Ward  harps 
on  quality,  while  Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co. 
aim  to  push  the  bargain  feature  of  their 
offers. 

THE   FUTURE   OF   THE   MAIL 
ORDER  BUSINESS. 

The  mail  order  method  will  be  the 
great  future  method  of  trading.  People 
will  come  to  see  that  it  is  a  waste  of 
time  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  making  a 
personal  call  on  a  merchant,  when  a 
written  order  can  be  prepared  in  a  few 


minutes.  Those  whose  time  is  of  little 
or  no  value  may  continue  to  shop,  but 
Americans  are  a  busy  people,  and  people 
who  can  regard  the  loss  of  time  with 
equanimity  are  in  the  minority. 

In  the  cities  many  people  will  doubt- 
less continue  to  make  most  of  their  pur- 
chases of  the  retail  dealer,  but  even 
here  written  orders  and  telephone  orders 
are  likely  to  grow  greatly  in  popularity. 
The  majority  of  our  inhabitants  live  in 
the  country,  and  in  comparatively  small 
cities.  These  people  will  become  more 
and  more  addicted  to  the  mail  order 
habit  as  time  goes  on.  They  will  buy 
by  mail  because  it  is  easier  and  more 
convenient,  when  they  are  not  in  a  hurry 
for  the  goods.  They  will  find  that  they 
have  larger  assortments  of  goods  to  se- 
lect from,  and  that  the  mail  dealer  gives 
them  better  value  than  they  can  obtain 
from  their  local  dealers. 

Another  thing  that  will  lead  to  a 
larger  volume  of  mail  trading  is  the  fact 
that  more  first-class  firms  are  every  year 
adopting  this  method  of  marketing  their 
goods.  Progressive  firms  see  the  trend 
of  the  times.  They  see  that  it  is  good 
business  to  get  closer  to  the  consumer. 
They  see  that  it  is  advisable  to  own 
their  own  trade,  and  net  give  a  middle 
man  the  opportunity  of  swinging  it  to 
a'nother  product,  if  the  manufacturer 
will  but  offer  better  prices. 

The  big  concerns  are  coming  to  see 
that  it  is  absurd  that  middle  men  should 
get  more  for  merely  handling  the  goods 
than  they  receive  after  erecting  great 
mills,  buying  raw  material,  and  employ- 
ing thousands  of  hands  to  turn  the  goods 
into  the  finished  product.  They  see 
that  it  would  be  to  their  benefit  to  take 
a  somewhat  larger  profit,  and  sell  to 
the  consumer.  They  could  pay  cost  of 
marketing,  and  still  give  consumers  far 
better  values  than  the  retailer  would 
give  him.  It  is  to  the  benefit  of  both 
producers  and  consumers  that  they 
should  get  closer  together. 

The  more  of  the  reliable  concerns  that 
adopt  the  mail  order  method,  the  more 
popular  will  mail  trading  become  among 
the  people.  Consumers  appreciate  goods 
of  the  first  class  at  moderate  prices. 
Those  who  receive  good  value  at  the 
hands  of  one  mail  dealer  will  be  glad 
to  give  another,  who  is  selling  a  differ- 
ent line,  the  chance  to  make  good. 

Still,  retailers  will  not  be  entirely 
crowded  out.  There  is  a  place  for  them 
to  handle  perishable  goods,  and  articles 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER  BUSINESS. 


that  are  not  likely  to  be  ordered  far  in 
advance.  There  will  always  be  less  mail 
trade  in  groceries  than  in  dry  goods. 

If  you  want  to  get  in  the  mail  busi- 
ness, start  now.  Do  not  lament  the  fact 
that  you  did  not  start  earlier.  The 
growth  of  the  mail  trade  has  in  reality 
just  begun.  There  is  more  competition 
than  there  Was  years  ago,  but  there  are 
also  more  mail  buyers — more  population 
an'd  more  who  have  been  educated  to 
mail  buying.  If  you  have  a  desirable 
proposition,  and  exploit  it  in  a  winning 
way,  you  can  look  forward  to  a  great 
measure  of  success. 

"  LARGE  OAKS,  ETC." 

Starting  in  with  a  limited  assortment 
of  goods  to  list  in  your  catalogue  or  cir- 
culars, you  can  gradually  add  other  ar- 
ticles to  your  catalogue,  and  while  you 
cannot  probably  nope  for  such  a  re- 
markable success  as  these  two  firms 
have  achieved,  still  I  believe  it  is  pos- 
sible to  build  up  a  line  of  customers 
who  will  consult  your  catalogue  fre- 
quently and  that  in  the  course  of  time 
you  can  build  up  a  safe,  conservative 
and  profitable  business. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  firms 
who  would  allow  you  to  list  their  goods 
in  your  catalogue  and  instead  of  carry- 
ing the  goods  actually  in  stock  they 
will  ship  them  to  your  customers  direct 
from  their  factory  or  place  of  business. 
Your  customer,  of  course,  would  not 
know  of  this  arrangement,  and  it  would 
be  as  satisfactory  to  him  as  though  the 
goods  were  shipped  direct  from  you. 

If  you  have  goods  listed  in  your  cata- 
logue that  are  priced  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  $10.00  or  more,  you  might  be 
called  upon  at  times  to  send  them  C.  O. 
D.,  as  people  who  purchase  goods  to  this 
amount  naturally  desire  to  see  what  they 
are  getting  before  they  pay  their  money ; 
therefore,  you  would  have  to  require  a 
deposit  of  $1.00  or  so  as  an  evidence  of 
good  faith,  and  then  snip  the  goods  C. 
O.  D.,  subject  ^  to  their  a^roval.  The 
express  agent  in  your  vicinity  will  tell 
you  how  to  go  about  this  in  case  you 
do  not  understand  it. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  ADVERTISING. 

It  will  probably  occur  to  you  that  the 
question  of  how  to  interest  people  in 
your  firm  and  let  them  know  that  you 
exist  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing 
them  with  whatever  they  happen  to  need 
in  your  line,  presents  considerable  dif- 


Can  be  obtained,  whether  of  wood,  metal,  canvass, 
shingle,  on  any  other  substance,  by  using 
BL.ACK  GIANT  ROOF?  PAIINT 

Will  make  a  worthless  roof  as  good  as  new 

and  serviceable  for  jeans;  positively  fire-proof  and 
water-proof.  Stops  all  leaks  and  holes.  The  best  roof 
p-unt  on  the  market.  Sold  direct  to  the  consumer. 
Ready  for  use.  Requires  no  mixing  or  thinning. 
Prices,  booklet,  testimonials,  etc.,  on  application. 
Vulcan  Chemical  Co.,  Dept.  Cleveland,  O. 


The  advertisement  of  Vulcan  Chemical  Co.  is 
designed  merely  to  get  inquiries  from  those  who 
need  the  goods.  No  attempt  is  made  in  the  ad. 
further  than  that.  The  catalogue,  follow-up 
system,  etc.,  does  the  rest. 


39 


Is  all  we  ask  for  this  nobby  little 
setofANGOKA    FTKS.    It 
IncludeaCollarette  and  Muff,  exactly  as  shown 
in  picture,  and  Is  a  handsome  and  attract! 
gift  for  any  child.  This  price  is  less  than  on 
hird. the  wholesale  value  and  is  A     BIG 
ttle  ones 
snows 

of  mid  winter.    Your  money  back  if  not  satis- 
fied   Sent  to  an*  part  of  ihe  U  S   all  charges 
paid.  Only  39  CENTS.  Order  today. 
MONTGOMERY  GIBBS  CO.  Dem 
$ 400-40-J  »V.  itarrt  St..    NEW  YORK. 


.  a 

BARGAIN.  w«l  k«P   tb»  little 
well  protected  during  the  icy  blasts  and 


The  above  ad.  pulled  so  well  that  the  adver- 
tiser was  obliged  to  discontinue  it  on  account  of 
not  being  able  to  get  the  goods  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  fill  orders  with. 


worth  of  SEEDS 


Just  to  introduce  our  famous  Garden  Seeds  to  thous- 
andsof  new  customers,  we  make  this  SPECIAL  OFFER: 
Send  us  50  cents,  stamps,  money  order  or  silver,  and  we 
will  send  you  by  return  mail  one  packet  each  of  the 
following  choice  and  selected  seeds  — 


paid 

Pkt.   Onion lOe 

Lettuce lOc 

Peppers 10c 

Beets l()c 

EariyCabbagelOc 

LateC.tbbage.10c 

Sweet  Corn  .MOc 

Carrots l"c 

Tom  n  toes Jdc 

Watermelon.  lOc 
.Remember,  you  get  one  pac 
in  all,  worth  $2.00.  for  only  50  cents. 


PRICE 

Pkt.  Radishes lOc 

Peas lOc 

Bean* lUc 

Celery lUc 

Turnips lUc 

Cauliflowtr  ..  .Hie 

Squash lOc 

Endive lOc 

Cucumber ]0c 

Canteloupe....lflc 
11  of  the  above.  20 
is  the  biggest 


ever  made  by  a  reliable  house.    ORDER    TO-DAY. 

Aurand,  Seedsman.  Dept.        Beaver  Springs,  Pa. 


How  a  seed  advertiser  gets  sample  orders.  A 
large  catalogue  is  sent  out  listing  other  flower 
and  garden  seeds. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ficulty.  In  fact,  the  most  essential  part 
of  the  mail  order  business  is  in  adver- 
tising. Until  you  have  advertised,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  you  do  not  exist, 
because  it  is  only  by  advertising  that 
the  people  in  the  country  can  possibly 
know  of  your  existence. 

-It  would  be  a  good  plan  to  take  some 
a'rticle  from  your  catalogue  as  a  leader 
and  then  when  you  fill  the  order  for  this 
article  you  would  send  your  customer  a 
catalogue  or  circulars  of  other  goods. 
Take  some  article  that  presents  points 
of  attractiveness  and  something  that 
will  serve  some  useful  purpose,  or  a 
novelty,  and  then  advertise  it  at  a  low 
price  in  order  to  attract  attention.  It  is 
best  to  take  some  article  that  you  can 
sell  low,  because  you  want  to  make  just 
as  many  sales  as  you  can  in  order  to 
get  your  catalogue  into  the  hands  of  a 
large  number  of  buyers.  This  is  the 
method  that  has  been  pursued  by  Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.,  whose  advertisements 
^you  have  probably  seen. 

SPECIAL   INDUCEMENTS. 

Do  not  imagine  that  you  can  attract 
any  attention  by  taking  some  article  and 
briefly  mention  it  in  a  few  lines'  space 
and  expect  that  people  will  buy  it.  Un- 
less you  are  prepared  to  advertise  in  the 
right  way,  it  would  be  best  for  you  not 
to  advertise  at  all.  Take  an  article  that 
you  desire  to  advertise  and  use  an  adver- 
tisement that  contains  an  illustration  of 
it,  then  describe  it  fully  and  explain  all 
its  points,  show  all  the  uses  it  can  be 
put  to  and  explain  why  it  is  sold  so 
cheap;  in  fact,  give  persuasive  argu- 
ments why  the  party  reading  the  adver- 
tisement should  buy  it.  Even  though  you 
lose  money  on  the  first  sale  that  you 
make,  it  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to 


it 


ONLY  10  CENTS 

forthisthree-piece VIOLET  WAIST  SET. 

The  prettiest  set  ever  advertised.  Each  pin 
is  an  imitation  of  a  Violet  and  is  set  with  a 
perfect  im.  diamond.  The  face  is  beauti- 
fully enameled  in  soft  Natural  Violet  color, 
back  and  pin  is  a  heavy  Gold  Plate,  warran- 
ted to  wear  two  years.  Everybody  admires 
them.  Retailers  charge  35c.  To  advertise  our 
house  we  send  a  set,  together  with  our  illus- 
trated listof  fine  jewelry  for  only  1 0  cents 
postpaid;  3  sets  25c.  Silver  or  stamps. 
BORNS  JEWELRY  HOUSE,  Dept. 
1907  MILWAUKEE  AVE.,  CHICAGO. 

The  above  advertisement  shows  how  a 
jewelry  house  introduces  their  catalogue. 
When  they  fill  these  10-cent  orders  they 
send  out  their  catalogue  of  other  goods,  and 
the  good  value  given  in  their  "leader"  forms 
an 'entering  wedge  for  further  business. 


send  out  your  catalogue  of  other  goods, 
and  it  will  also  attract  the  attention  of 
people  who  otherwise  would  never 
write  to  you  were  it  not  for  the  extra 
inducement  you  offer.  This  plan  of 
drawing  the  attention  of  the  people  by 
means  of  special  inducements  is  per- 
fectly legitimate  and  is  practiced  by  all 
mail  order  dealers.  If  the  first  pur- 
chase the  customer  makes  is  all  right, 
they  will  naturally  come  again.  There- 
fore, do  not  advertise  for  a  leader  any 
thing  that  will  not  give  perfect  satis- 
faction, for  by  so  doing  you  would  sim- 
ply run  against  your  own  interests. 

Neither  should  you  attempt  to  adver- 
tise any  article  that  you  cannot  fill  or- 
ders for  promptly  as  soon  as  received. 

The  new  advertiser  should  be  ready 
to  satisfy  his  customers  in  the  s-ame 
manner  as  a  retailer  is  anxious  to  sell 
to  the  lady  before  the  counter.  If  he 
be  a  mail  order  man,  and  does  not  recog- 
nize that  the  people  who  answer  wish 
to  be  satisfied  as  quickly  as  possible,  he 
is  likely  to  be  loaded  with  letters  indi- 
cating the  poor  idea  his  customers  have 
of  him,  and  that  they  will  secure  the 
assistance  of  the  postal  authorities. 

HOW  TO  WRITE  GOOD  MAIL 
ORDER  ADS. 

In  writing  a  mail  order  advertise- 
ment, you  must  remember  that  to  make 
an  advertisement  convincing,  there  must 
be  something  more  in  it  than  mere  as- 
sertion. There  must  be  reason — logic. 
Prices  are  nothing  without  descriptions. 
The  cut  of  a  pair  of  silk  hose,  retailing 
for  $1.49,  looks  exactly  like  the  same 
article  in  cotton,  retailing  at  IQC. 

Describe  the  goods.  If  they  are  espe- 
cially good  value  at  the  price,  show  up 
their  strong  points,  and  show  wherein 
they  are  superior  to  articles  usually  re- 
tailed at  the  prices  quoted. 

Give  reasons  why  you  can  afford  to 
sell  at  less  than  the  regular  price  charged 
for  that  grade  of  goods.  The  reasons 
must  be  plausible. 

But  good  values  do  not  necessarily 
mean  low  prices.  A  superior  class  of 
goods  at  the  usual  price  charged  for  reg- 
ular lines  will  attract  the  interest  of  a 
large  clientele  of  buyers.  Goods  with 
superior  style,  or  some  good  quality 
that  differentiates  them  from  the  usual, 
will  always  fetch  a  price  that  will  mean 
a  good  profit  for  the  manufacturer  or 
dealer. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


Bring  out  the  distinctive  qualities  of 
the  line  advertised  in  the  most  promi- 
nent manner.  Greater  than  illustration, 
greater  than  decoration,  greater  than 
type  effects,  is  the  power  of  reason. 
The  first  thought  should  be  given  to 
the  argument — the  reasons  why — this  is 
the  real  motive  of  the  advertisement. 
All  the  other  things  are  trimmings.  Of 
course,  trimmings  are  of  considerable 
importance.  They  will  direct  to  the  ad- 
vertising the  attention  of  those  who 
otherwise  would  not  notice  or  would 
not  read  it.  But  the  attention  evoked 
by  the  trimmings  is  not  enough.  Peo- 
ple will  not  buy  the  goods  unless  they 
are  given  convincing  reasons  why  they 
should  do  so. 

Most  goods  have  talking  points — most 
goods  have  merits ;  those  that  haven't 
should  never  have  been  placed  on  the 
market.  These  can  be  sold  by  talking 
the  one  reason — price.  But  the  meri- 
torious articles  should  be  described  in  a 
straightforward,  forceful  manner.  Tell 
all  about  them,  including  the  price. 

RIGHT   AND   WRONG    ECONOMY. 

There  are  right  and  wrong  ways  to 
economize  in  the  mail  order  business  the 
same  as  in  any  other  business.  A  nig- 
gardly stinginess  in  the  matter  of  space, 
copy,  literature  or  postage  is  the  poorest 
sort  of  economy  in  the  mail  order  busi- 


ness. This  does  not  mean  that  waste 
and  leakages  should  not  be  watched  for 
and  eliminated,  but  that  the  mail  order 
man  should  be  broad-minded  enough  to 
view  his  proposition  in  a  proper  light, 
and  differentiate  between  real  economy 
and  unprofitable  stinginess. 

The  advertiser  would  better  econo- 
mize on  almost  anything  else  than  on 
the  advertising  copy  that  he  intends  to 
use.  He  would  better  use  space  in 
fewer  periodicals  and  have  the  space 
filled  with  convincing  talk,  and  be  pre- 
pared to  send  convincing  literature  to 
inquirers. 

It  is  as  much  to  the  advantage  of  the 
beginner  to  have  the  right  sort  of  ad- 
vertising matter  as  it  is  to  the  experi- 
enced mail  order  man.  Indeed,  it  is  of 
even  greater  importance.  The  mail  or- 
der concern  that  has  been  in  business 
for  a  considerable  length  of  time  has 
acquired  a  prestige  that  will  help  make 
indifferent  advertising  matter  fairly  ef- 
fective. The  new  bidder  for  the  pub- 
lic's favor  must  say  something  that  will 
draw  trade  at  once.  It  must  be  stronger 
than  the  advertising  of  tne  older  firms 
that  are  advertising  the  same  class  of. 
goods.  Most  new  advertisers  haven't 
the  capital  or  the  grit  to  stay  unless  they 
can  see  results  within  a  few  weeks  of 
the  time  that  their  first  advertising  ap- 
pears. If  they  are  to  see  results,  they 
must  use  good  advertising  copy. 


BIG  REDUCTION  IN  PICTURES 

Owing'  to  the  fact  that  we  have  an  enormous  stock  of  pictures  which  we  wish  to  turn  into 
money  in  order  to  make  room  for  a  fresh  lot  we  have  decided  to  make  a  sweeping  reduction 
in  price  of  our  pictures  for  a  few  weeks  only. 

Our  pictures  have  been  sold  very  largely  at  25  cents  each.  They  are  printed  in  many 
beautiful  colors  and  the  size  of  each  picture  is  16x20  inches. 

For  a  short  time  we  will  send  six  samples,  no  two  alike,  for  25  cents  postpaid.  25  pictures  $1.00, 
100  pictures  $3.75.  At  these  figures  we  cannot  guarantee  to  fill  orders  indefinitely. 

As  soon  as  our  stock  is  reduced  we  shall  refuse  to  fill  any  more  orders  so  do  not  delay  but 
order  at  once. 

The  subjects  which  we  offer  are  as  follows:  Fruits,  eight  or  ten  different  kinds; 
Flowers,  three  or  four  different  kinds;  Old  Church,  Old  Mill,  Simply  to  Thy 
Cross  I  Cling,  Rock  of  Ages,  Christ  in  the  Temple,  Christ  Before  Pilate, 
Lord's  Supper,  Can't  You  Talk,  Playmates,  Pharaoh's  Horses,  Horse  Fair, 
etc.  We  have  about  100  subjects  at  the  present  time  and  those  who  order  first  will  get  the  best  choice. 

LEE  PICTURE  CO.,  74  Canal  St.,   Dept.  S3,    Chicago,  III. 


The  above  advertisement  shows  how  an  advertiser  of  lithograph  pictures  does 
business  by  mail.  This  advertiser  is  said  to  publish  and  sell  by  mail  and  through 
other  mail  order  dealers,  to  whom  he  sells  at  wholesale,  over  five  million  pictures 
a  year.  He  publishes  an  elaborate  catalogue  listing  other  pictures  of  all  characters, 
and  in  this  way  has  built  up  a  big  and  prosperous  business.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  the  pictures  are  excellent  value  for  the  money  and  speak  for  themselves. 


i6 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


LEADER  WILL  NOT  PAY  FOR  THE 
ADVERTISING. 

Do  not  expect  that  the  leader  which 
you  advertise  will  pay  for  the  advertis- 
ing. It  is  only  by  selling  them  other 
goods  that  you  can  expect  to  make  a 
profit.  Some  firms  advertise  some  small 
article  free  as  a  present,  in  order  to  get 
people  to  write  for  their  catalogue. 
This,  of  course,  could  only  be  attempted 
by  a  firm  with  ample  capital,  because  the 
names  obtained  in  this  way  would  prob- 
ably not  begin  to  yield  a  profit  in  less 
than  a  year,  as  advertising  of  this  kind 
is  expensive  and  their  customers  would 
have  to  purchase  considerable  goods  be- 
fore the  cost  of  getting  them  would  be 
made  up. 

Many  who  advertise  on  this  plan  fail 
because  their  advertisement  does  not  at- 
tract attention,  as  they  briefly  mention 
the  article  and  do  not  present  any  argu- 
ment, and  do  not  take  pains  to  get  their- 
advertisement  up  in  the  way  that  I  have 
indicated.  Therefore,  if  you  wish  to 
have  your  advertisement  of  any  con- 
sequence in  the  world,  see  that  it  is 
just  as  attractive  in  appearance  as  you 
can  possibly  make  it ;  also  see  that  it  is 
placed  in  papers  that  will  bring  results. 

EMPLOY  AN  AGENT. 

The  beginner  should  employ  an  agent. 
The  agent  can  place  advertising  cheaper 
than  the  advertiser  can,  and  his  experi- 
ence in  the  business  would  enable  him 
to  place  the  business  with  less  risk, 
since  it  is  his  business  to  know  the 
standing  of  the  different  papers,  their 
rates,  circulation,  etc.,  and  without  this 
knowledge  the  advertising  is  often 
placed  in  papers  that  are  worthless  and 
could  bring  no  returns  at  any  price. 

In  placing  advertising,  I  not  only  save 
my  customer  money  by  allowing  him  a 
percentage  from  the  rate  charged  by  the 
publisher,  but  I  also  can  be  of  in- 
estimable service  in  selecting  the  papers 
best  suited  for  his  proposition. 


To  an  advertiser  with  a  limited'  ap- 
propriation it  means  a  great  deal  to  get 
the  very  best  space  that  his  money  will 
buy.  There  are  mail  order  papers  with 
rates  that  vary  from  10  cents  to  $5  a 
line.  There  are  many  papers  with  the 
same  rate  and  claiming  the  same  circu- 
lation whose  value  as  advertising  media 
differs  to  a  greater  extent  than  most 
new  advertisers  would  suppose. 

An  advertiser  who  wants  to  put  his 
money  where  it  will  do  the  most  good 
will  find  my  advice  as  to  media  of  in- 
estimable value.  Those  who  place  their 
advertising  with  me  frequently  receive 
advice  and  suggestions  regarding  their 
business  that  is  of  considerable  help  to 
them. 

Some  of  those  who  decry  the  adver- 
tising agent  and  his  work  would  ac- 
knowledge that  there  is  a  place,  and  a 
very  large  place,  for  him  if  they  could 
but  read  some  of  the  queries  that  come 
into  this  office.  Many  beginners  in  the 
advertising  line  have  the  most  absurd 
theories,  and  if  the  advertising  agent 
did  no  more  than  set  some  of  these 
people  right  and  show  them  that  their 
plans  are  not  feasible  he  would  save 
enough  money  for  his  clients  to  pay  his 
annual  income  many  times  over. 

An  advertising  man  can  only  stay  in 
the  business  by  delivering  results.  To 
handle  the  business  with  satisfaction  to 
his  customers,  he  must  really  under- 
stand the  advertising  problem.  This  is 
not  to  say  that  any  advertising  agent 
can  push  every  proposition  he  handles 
to  success.  Some  advertisers  are  com- 
mitted to  a  plan  that  the  advertising 
man  does  not  consider  the  wisest.  But 
the  advertiser  may  still  have  so  much 
confidence  in  his  own  judgment  that  he 
wants  to  try  the  proposition  out.  In 
such  cases  the  advertising  man  will  put 
the  scheme  in  such  shape  that  it  stands 
the  best  chance  of  success.  It  may  or 
may  not  win  out.  No  advertising  agent 
is  infallible.  Look  out  for  the  one  that 
tells  you  he  is. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Following  Up  Inquiries. 


It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  make  direct 
sales  from  an  advertisement,  unless  the 
amount  called  for  is  quite  trifling.  With 
articles  that  are  of  much  value  the 
reader  whose  attention  is  attracted  by 
the  advertisement  usually  writes  to  the 
advertiser  for  his  descriptive  matter 
and  other  particulars  in  regard  to  it. 
The  advertisement  simply  produces  the 
inquiry  and  after  the  inquiry  is  received 
the  advertiser  works  up  a  sale  through 
correspondence. 

When  you  send  the  inquirer  your 
catalogue  or  circular,  it  is  customary  to 
acknowledge  receipt  of  their  inquiry, 
thanking  them  for  it  and  calling  their 
attention  to  the  circular  and  catalogue. 
This  gives  the  transaction  a  personal 
flavor  and  will  assure  your  circular  or 
catalogue  getting  better  attention  than 
if  you  merely  send  these  out  and  make 
no  comment  whatever.  Where  you  are 
receiving  a  large  number  of  answers  to 
your  advertisement,  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  have  a  form  letter  printed  in  imita- 
tion of  typewriter,  in  which  you  will  fill 
in  their  name  and  address,  to  give  the 
impression  that  it  is  a  personal  letter. 

Oftentimes  the  party  will  make  no 
response  after  having  received  your 
catalogue  and  letter,  and  the  next  thing 
to  do  is  to  follow  them  up  with  other 
letters  at  frequent  intervals.  This  con- 
stitutes the  follow-up  system,  and  is 
one  of  the  secrets  of  success  in  the 
mail  order  business. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

In  writing  your  circular  letters,  how- 
ever, always  keep  the  personal  quality 
constantly  in  mind  and  do  not  let  them 
degenerate  into  circulars  in  disguise. 
They  must  appeal  direct  to  the  person 
addressed  and  have  every  appearance 
of  being  a  personal  letter.  Sometimes 
correspondence  is  developed  covering 
certain  points  about  the  article  adver- 
tised, and  in  answering  letters  of  this 
kind  that  require  special  answers,  see 
that  every  point  and  every  question  is 


specifically  answered,  no  matter  how 
trifling  it  may  appear  to  you.  Some- 
times people  will  write  of  things  in 
their  letters  that  are  not  exactly  perti- 
nent to  the  subject  in  hand.  Untactful 
correspondents,  instead  of  noticing 
them,  will  only  answer  that  which  is 
strictly  business,  and  in  this  way  create 
a  prejudice  that  no  amount  of  good 
business  writing  can  overcome.  Corre- 
spondence with  mail  order  people  can- 
not be  conducted  on  the  same  lines  as 
correspondence  with  business  men.  In 
writing  to  business  men,  all  that  is  re- 
quired is  to  stick  to  the  subject  in  hand; 
be  as  brief  as  possible,  say  what  you 
want  to  say,  and  when  you  are  finished 
stop.  Country  people,  however,  must 
be  approached  in  a  more  friendly  spirit. 

All  inquiries  that  are  received  in  re- 
sponse to  your,  advertisement  represent 
so  many  possible  purchasers  of  your 
goods,  because  they  certainly  would  not 
have  written  unless  they  had  some  de- 
gree of  interest  in  your  advertisement. 

The  importance  of  the  people  who 
write  for  particulars  with  no  desire  at 
the  time  to  purchase  has  for  years  been 
belittled.  The  fact  is,  perhaps,  that  a 
goodly  proportion  of  those  who  write 
for  particulars  are  curiosity  seekers, 
open  to  conviction,  however,  if  the  sam- 
ple literature  or  follow-up  be  of  the 
kind  that  it  should  be — in  other  words, 
persuasive  and  convincing.  Even  the 
follow-up  crowd  that  all  the  advertising 
literature  in  the  world  could  not  induce 
to  purchase  are  often  valuable,  because 
they  show  and  discuss  the  advertised 
samples  or  booklets  to  those  who  may 
be  anxious  to  purchase.  Trying  to  cut 
out  curiosity  seekers  is  one  of  those 
efforts  indulged  in  largely  by  novices  in 
advertising  whose  ignorance  is  consid- 
erably larger  than  their  knowledge — 
who  fail  to  see  that  human  foresight 
can  never  tell  where  the  effect  of  a 
business  announcement  may  end. 


i8 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


"  FOLLOW-UP  "  LETTERS. 

When  doing  a  catalogue  business, 
where  there  are  hundreds  of  articles 
offered,  it  is  not  advisable  to  devote  the 
whole  letter  to  arguing  the  merits  of 
any  one  particular  article.  It  should  be 
the  advertiser's  aim  in  such  a  case  to 
convince  the  inquirer  that  he  can  order 
any  article  listed  and  be  sure  of  good 
value  and  prompt,  courteous  attention. 
It  is  also  well  oftentimes  to  call  par- 
ticular attention  to  some  article  which 
offers  exceptionally  good  value,  and  to 
devote  some  little  space  to  explaining 
its  merits. 

In  following  up  the  catalogue,  a  cir- 
cular showing  other  goods  than  those 
listed  in  the  catalogue  can  be  inclosed 
with  the  letter,  and  a  brief  mention 
made  of  the  inclosure  in  the  follow-up 
letter.  It  is  customary,  after  quite  a 
number  of  letters  have  been  sent  with- 
out getting  a  response,  to  inclose  a 
postal  card  or  stamped  envelope  and 
ask  the  recipient  to  reply  to  certain 
questions,  such,  for  instance,  as  to 
whether  he  has  purchased  the  goods  he 
intended  to  buy  when  ordering  the  cata- 
logue, if  not,  whether  he  still  intends  to 
purchase.  In  case  of  high-class  goods, 
it  is  often  asked  when  he  intends  to 
purchase  at  any  future  date,  and  if  he 
replies  his  answer  is  kept  on  file  and  a 
special  offer  made  him  about  that  time. 
The  mode  of  procedure  varies  with  dif- 
ferent classes  of  articles.  The  inquirer 
for  a  catalogue  of  costly  articles,  such 
as  pianos,  organs,  buggies,  farming 
implements,  etc.,  can  be  followed  up  for 
a  considerable  length  of  time,  because 
if  a  sale  is  made,  it  means  many  dollars 
of  profit  for  the  advertiser. 

New  catalogues  can  be  sent  to  such 
inquirers  profitably  for  two  or  three 
years.  This  is  also  true  in  the  case  of 
inquirers  for  a  catalogue  of  articles  of 
clothing.  Such  catalogues  are  usually 
issued  semi-annually,  and  the  regular 
semi-annual  catalogue  of  the  advertiser 
should  be  sent  to  all  who  have  shown 
interest  enough  in  the  goods  to  make 
inquiries  for  several  seasons,  or  until 
it  is  quite  certain  no  business  can  result. 

Some  firms  which  issue  costly  cata- 
logues, instead  of  sending  a  catalogue 
the  second  season,  send  a  postal  card 
or  form  letter,  notifying  the  person  ad- 
dressed that  the  catalogue  is  out  and 
that  he  can  have  a  copy  by  sending 
for  it. 


A   GOOD   SYSTEM. 

As  an  example  of  what  a  good  follow 
up  system  will  accomplish,  the  follow- 
ing letters  are  given  to  show  how  a 
firm  which  manufactures  a  trousers 
press  follows  up  those  who  answer  its 
advertisement  and  request  to  send  its 
descriptive  catalogue ;  in  fact,  almost 
the  whole  secret  of  success  in  selling 
articles  by  mail,  the  prices  of  which  are 
too  high  to  bring  in  quick  replies  from 
the  ad,  is  in  a  persistent  follow-up  sys- 
tem. 

LETTER  NO.  i. 

Dear  Sir :  We  beg  to  remind  ybu  that 
we  are  still  without  response  from  you 
regarding  the  "Practical"  trousers  hang- 
er and  press.  We  feel  sure  your  inquiry 
for  our  book  would  not  have  been  made 
unless  you  felt  the  need  of  a  proper 
device  for  caring  for  your  clothing. 
Can  we  give  you  any  further  informa- 
tion? 

You  remember  the  emphatic  manner 
in  which  our  customers  endorse  it.  It 
certainly  supplied  their  wants.  It  will 
as  surely  supply  yours. 

No  one  keeps  our  device  except  at  his 
own  pleasure.  We  refund  the  money  if 
it  does  not  completely  satisfy. 

You  must  not  confound  the  "Practi- 
cal" trousers  hanger  and  press  with  any 
other  article  devised  for  similar  pur- 
poses. If  you  had  only  our  unsupported 
statement  that  our  device  was  the  "best" 
we  should  expect  you  to  take  such  a 
statement  with  due  allowance.  Our 
tEousers  hanger  is  in  a  class  by  itself 
and  possesses  original  features  which 
embody  all  the  essentials  and  niceties  of 
a  perfect  device.  The  letter  inclosed 
illustrates  clearly  the  superiority  of  our 
device. 

We  ask  that  consideration  which  the 
evidence  we  have  submitted  and  the  in- 
terest you  have  shown  merits. 

Yours  respectfully. 

LETTER  NO.  2. 

Dear  Sir :  We  have  not  yet  heard 
from  you  since  complying  with  your 
request  for  our  book.  While  we  do  not 
expect  that  every  one  who  writes  for 
our  printed  matter  does  so  with  the  idea 
of  buying  immediately,  nevertheless  we 
infer  that  the  inquiry  came  from  you 
because  you  were  interested,  and  natur- 
ally we  look  for  some  reply. 


PRINCIPLES   OF    THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


We  know  that  every  man  who  gives 
any  care  whatsoever  to  his  apparel  will 
find  our  device  indispensable.  There  is 
nothing  else  that  will  meet  the  require- 
ments. 

So  well  assured  are  we,  from  our  ex- 
perience that  if  we  can  interest  you  suf- 
ficiently to  secure*  your  order,  we  have 
acquired  not  only  a  patron  but  a  cham- 
pion, whose  influence  will  surely  bring 
us  additional  orders,  that  we  cannot  help 
being  enthusiastic  and  persistent.  We 
do  not  want  to  be  forgotten  in  the  rush 
of  other  things. 

Our  proposition  is  to  refund  the 
money  at  any  time  within  sixty  days, 
goods  being  returnable  at  our  expense. 
It  entirely  eliminates  any  risk  of  loss, 
and  gives  you  ample  time  to  decide 
which  you  would,  rather  have,  your 
money  or  our  goods. 

We  inclose  a  facsimile  copy  of  a  let- 
ter we  received  from  Mr.  C.  Oliver  Ise- 
lin.  As  Mr.  Iselin  has  been  using  our 
device  for  several  years  and  has  sent 
us  a  number  of  orders,  we  take  pleas- 
ure in  submitting  it  for  your  considera- 
tion. 

We  beg  to  remain, 

Very  respectfully. 

LETTER  NO.  3. 

Dear  Sir :  We  have  had  no  reply  from 
you  since  complying  with  your  request 
for  our  printed  matter,  nor  to  our  let- 
ters subsequent  thereto.  It  costs  us 
something  to  get  your  inquiry  and  com- 
ply with  your  request,  and  we  have  been 
glad  to  make  this  expenditure,  although 
thus  far  we  have  had  our  "trouble  for 
our  pains." 

We  are  anxious  to  find  out  if  your  in- 
quiry was  made  with  the  hope  of  learn- 
ing of  some  reliable  and  meritorious 
device  for  the  care  of  trousers.  To 
keep  our  records  perfect,  we  want  to 
know  exactly  why  the  inquiry  was 
made.  Are  we  not  in  fairness  entitled 
to  some  reply?  Such,  for  instance,  as 
we  would  have  had  if  you  had  made 
inquiry  in  person. 

I*  would  be  manifestly  "flat,  stale  and 
unprofitable"  for  us  to  claim  our  device 
was  the  best,  unless  we  could  prove  our 
claims.  Can  the  testimony  we  have 
already  presented  'to  you  be  success- 
fully questioned?  We  most  certainly 
would  not  extend  a  guarantee  which  al- 
lows the  purchaser  to  take  sixty  days  to 
determine  whether  to  keep  the  goods  or 


send  them  back  and  get  his  money,  we 
prepaying  the  expressage  both  ways,  un- 
less we  were  absolutely  sure  of  the 
result. 

You  evidently  value  the  neatness, 
comfort  and  convenience  the  "Practi- 
cal" trousers  hanger  and  press  provides, 
and  the  query  rings  in  our  ears,  "Why 
don't  we  get  an  order?"  Will  you  let  us 
know  why,  and  very  greatly  oblige, 
Yours  truly. 

The  above  letters  are  a  very  good 
example  of  how  "follow-up"  letters 
should  be  worded,  although,  of  course, 
different  articles  require  different  argu- 
ments in  order  to  make  the  sale. 

OVERPERSISTENCY. 

We  wish  to  warn  the  reader,  however, 
that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  following 
inquiries  up  too  persistently  and  not  al- 
lowing time  enough  between  letters. 
Too  frequent  communications,  contin- 
ued too  long,  will  often  prejudice  the 
receiver  against  the  advertiser  and 
against  his  products. 

Of  course,  it  is  folly  to  pay  out  good 
money  for  an  advertisement  and  then 
fail  to  get  all  the  trade  possible  from 
the  volume  of  inquiries  that  results.  But1 
the  way  to  obtain  all  the  possible  trade 
is  not  to  send  out  a  long  letter  each 
week  for  fourteen  weeks.  It  is  not  by 
talking  against  time  and  indulging  in 
trite  platitudes.  It  is  not  by  sending  im- 
pertinent letters  which  accuse  the  in- 
quirer of  discourtesy  because  he  does 
not  buy  the  goods  nor  answer  the  let- 
ters. 

Obtain  an  answer  if  you  can,  get  an 
order  if  you  can,  but  remember  that  you 
will  get  fewer  of  them,  by  nagging  or 
blustering  than  by  straightforward  bus- 
iness letters  telling  of  the  merits  of  the 
goods  from  a  new  point  of  view.  Let 
each  letter  be  fresh  and  unhackneyed  in 
its  treatment  of  the  matter.  When  you 
have  fully  covered  the  subject,  when 
you  have  brought  all  the  available  ar- 
guments to  bear  on  the  inquirer,  then 
stop.  If  you  want  a  reply,  inclose  a 
stamped  post  card  with  one  of  the  last 
letters .  and  have  this  card  printed  with 
the  questions  you  wish  answered,  leav- 
ing a  blank  for  the  answer.  Courteous- 
ly request  that  correspondents  should 
fill  these  out,  and  in  a  majority  of  in- 
stances they  will  do  so. 

Desirable  questions  to  ask  are  if  the 
purchaser  intends  to  buy  goods  of  the 


20 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


class  advertised  in  the  near  future;  if 
he  has  already  filled  his  wants  in  this 
direction ;  if  not,  when  in  the  future  he 
thinks  he  is  likely  to  purchase.  Those 
who  answer  that  they  intend  to  buy  dur- 
ing a  coming  year  or  at  a  future  sea- 
son can  then  be  put  on  the  index,  to  be 
followed  up  again  just  previous  to  the 
season  when  they  are  likely  to  buy. 

The  length  of  these  various  letters 
will  depend,  of  course,  upon  the  nature 
of  the  goods,  and  also  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  the  class  of  people  to  whom  they 
are  to  be  sent.  People  in  the  rural  sec- 
tions will  read  longer  letters  than  will 
the  business  man.  The  farmer  who 
answers  advertisements  that  appear  in 
the  progressive  agricultural  papers  is 
not  so  likely  to  stand  for  a  long  letter 
as  is  the  rural  resident  that  answers  the 
ad  in  a  mail  order  monthly. 

Then  something  depends  upon  wheth- 
er one  relies  upon  the  letter  only,  or  if 
a  booklet,  folder,  or  circular  is  sent 
with  each  letter.  In  the  latter  case,  of 
course,  the  letter  can  be  made  compara- 
tively short,  and  the  more  extended 
argument  given  in  the  other  inclosure. 

This  is  a  very  good  way  to  do  when 
one  is  selling  high  grade  goods.  In  such 
cases,  too,  it  is  well  to  have  the  letter 
written  on  the  machine  instead  of  send- 
ing an  imitation  typewritten  letter. 

If  you  use  typewritten  facsimile  let- 
ters, have  good  ones.  The  object  of  the 
typewritten  letter  is  to  make  the  recip- 
ient believe  that  he  is  the  object  of  a 
direct  and  personal  communication.  If 
>our  letter  does  not  carry  out  this  im- 
pression, better  use  a  printed  circular. 
It  will  convey  the  same  message  and 
cost  you  less. 

BOOKLETS   AND   FOLDERS. 

Circulars  alone  can  no  longer  be  prof- 
itably used  for  advertising  most  high 
grade  mail  order  propositions.  Even  in 
the  case  of  cheaper  goods,  the  folder 
or  booklet  will  often  be  found  more 
economical  in  the  end,  even  though  the 
first  cost  is  greater. 

The  folder  and  booklet  possess  a  neat- 
ness, an  attractiveness,  and  permit  an 
ease  in  handling  that  is  quite  foreign 
from  the  circular.  They  make  a  better 
first  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  re- 
ceiver. 

As  to  whether  it  is  better  to  use  a 
folder  or  booklet,  depends  on  the 
amount  of  copy  that  the  advertiser  is 


going  to  use.  It  is  not  wise  to  use  a 
folder  of  too  many  pages.  Such  fold- 
ers are  as  unwieldy  as  a  circular,  and 
they  have  the  additional  disadvantage 
that  it  is  hard  for  the  reader  to  find  the 
right  place.  A  four,  six,  or  even  eight 
page  folder  is  all  right,  but  if  one  is  go- 
ing to  print  more  pages  than  eight,  it  is 
better  to  shape  the  literature  up  in  book- 
let form — have  the  back  wired  or 
stitched  and  the  leaves  cut.  It  will  cost 
only  a  little  more  anyway. 

Too  many  advertisers  when  they 
finally  decide  to  use  a  folder  or  booklet, 
are  filled  with  the  determination  to 
have  something  pretty;  they  sacrifice 
effectiveness  to  their  ideas  of  neatness 
and  attractiveness.  Now,  it  is  all  right 
to  get  the  advertising  up  in  good  shape, 
and  to  have  it  neat  typographically.  But 
the  first  consideration  should  be  to 
make  it  sell  the  goods.  Wide  margins, 
attractive  display  lines,  and  leaded  body 
type  are  not  so  important  as  convincing 
argument  concerning  the  merits  of  the 
goods. 

Fifty  words  of  epigrammatic  smart- 
isms  to  a  page  will  make  a  neater  ap- 
pearing booklet  than  will  two  hundred 
words  of  business  talk  telling  all  about 
the  goods.  To  the  man  who  is  looking 
for  something  bright,  something  catchy, 
it  may  appear,  that  the  fifty  word  pages 
contain  the  strongest  talk.  They  may 
interest  the  man  who  does  not  care 
about  the  goods,  or  intend  to  buy,  but  a 
person  who  is  looking  for  an  article  in 
the  line  advertised  and  intends  to  pur- 
chase of  the  firm  that  offers  him  the 
best  value  will  be  the  most  interested 
by  the  booklet  that  tells  him  all  about 
the  goods.  He  is  not  reading  advertis- 
ing matter  to  be  amused,  nor  for  the 
purpose  of  being  informed  about  the 
idiosyncrasies  of  human  nature.  He 
wants  information  about  the  goods — 
he  wants  to  know  all  about  them. 

In  the  booklet  tell  the  story  in  full. 
There  is  no  need  of  being  verbose,  of 
taking  five  thousand  words  to  give  in- 
•  formation  that  could  as  well  be  put  in 
half  that  number,  but  do  not  cut  down 
the  talk  to  fit  the  size  of  the  booklet, 
which  has  been  determined  on  in  ad- 
vance. Do  not  cut  down  the  informa- 
tion to  allow  wide  rnargins.  for  the  pages 
of  the  booklet.  Just  as  sure  as  you  do, 
the  reader  will  give  you  a  wide  margin 
when  he  comes  to  buy. 

It   is  better  to  give  too  much  infor- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


21 


mation  than  too  little.  When  a  person 
is  not  interested  in  certain  particulars 
regarding  the  goods  he  can  skip  them, 
but  he  cannot  supply  information  that 
is  not  given. 

The  booklet  can  be  twelve,  sixteen, 
twenty-four  or  even  a  hundred  pages  in 
length,  if  the  subject  warrants  and  re- 
quires it;  and  it  will  be  read  through. 

The  best  mail  order  advertisers  in  the 
country  give  more  attention  to  present- 
ing all  that  can  be  said  in  favor  of  their 
goods  than  they  do  to  printing  their  lit- 
erature in  an  ultra  fine  manner.  They 
economize  on  paper,  and  by  so  doing 
economize  on  postage,  but  they  do  not 
economize  on  the  amount  of  wording 
used  in  their  descriptive  matter. 

Take  the  Sears-Roebuck  catalogue — a 
heavier  paper  might  be  used,  which 
would  take  better  illustrations  and  show 
up  better  typographically.  One-half  the 
number  of  pages  would  then  make  as 
much  bulk  and  weigh  as  much  as  the 
catalogue  now  used.  Shorter  descrip- 
tions could  be  used  and  fewer  goods 
listed.  But  the  catalogue  now  used 
would  bring  far  more  orders,  and  that's 
what  Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co.  are  looking 
for. 

The  Dr.  Shoop  booklets,  the  Slocum 
booklets,  the  Liquozone  booklets  are 
never  ornate.  They  are  just  plain,  com- 
mon sense  pieces  of  advertising  matter, 
filled  with  convincing  talk  that  sells  the 
goods.  If  prettier  advertising  matter 
would  sell  the  goods  faster  and  produce 
a  larger  net  profit,  these  experienced 
advertisers  would  use  them 

There  are  some  mail  order  proposi- 
tions that  require  a  high  grade  of  typog- 
raphy for  the  folder,  booklet,  or  cata- 
logue. High  priced  articles  advertised 
in  the  magazines  are  best  advertised  by 
booklets  that  are  approximately  in  the 
same  class  typographically  as  are  the 
magazines  in  which  they  are  given  pub- 
licity. But  the  information  should  never 
be  cut  down  in  the  interests  of  mere 
typographical  details. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  give  dozens  of 
examples  to  show  that  people  will  do 
what  they  find  most  easy  to  do.  If  an 
advertiser  desires  that  many  readers 
should  buy  his  goods,  he  must  make 
these,  aside  from  their  inherent  good- 
ness, easy  to  buy.  The  person  who  goes 
into  a  store  anxious  to  purchase  a  cer- 
tain article  and  fails  to  find  it  there, 
soon  loses  his  enthusiasm,  and  buys 
what  the  man  in  the  store  tells  him  to. 


In  the  war  to  make  the  consumer  buy/ 
the  storekeeper  plays  an  important  part. 
Not  so  important,  however,  that  within 
recent  years  he  has  not  been  made  to 
see  that  to  fail  to  have  in  stock  what  his 
customers  ask  is  to  put  him  in  the  list 
of  those  to  whom  progressive  people  do 
not  apply.  Once  there,  it  is  a  hard  job 
to  get  into  one's  former  place  again. 
The  right  way  is  never  to  get  so  far 
below  that  a  climb  upon  the  mountains 
must  be  made  before  one's  earlier  cus- 
tomers can  again  be  made  to  see  that 
the  man  who  was  "way  below"  has 
come  forward  to  his  former  position. 

FOLLOWING  UP   SALES. 

Holding  old  customers  and  cultivating 
them  is  as  important  as  getting  new 
ones.  There  is  something  more  for  the 
advertiser  to  do  than  simply  to  give 
good  values  'and  satisfactory  service. 
These  are  of  the  utmost  importance,  but 
in  order  to  get  the  most  business  out  of 
a  list  of  old  customers  it  is  necessary  to 
cultivate  their  trade  by  keeping  them  in 
mind  of  the  fact  that  you  have  goods  to 
sell  and  are  offering  them  at  a  price 
that  makes  it  desirable  for  them  to  pur- 
chase from  you  rather  than  elsewhere. 

Follow  up  the  sale  of  one  bill  of 
goods  by  sending  out  advertising  matter 
concerning  other  goods  at  regular  inter- 
vals. If  you  use  circulars,  list  a  few 
special  bargains  in  goods  that  sell  at  a 
fair  price  and  inclose  with  a  form  let- 
ter calling  attention  to  the  goods  and 
making  reference  to  past  satisfactory 
business  relations. 

It  is  never  advisable  to  cram  an  en- 
velope full  of  circulars.  If  an  adver- 
tiser has  so  many  different  goods  that 
he  wishes  brought  to  the  attention  of 
those  on  his  mailing  list  he  would  bet- 
ter prepare  a  catalogue  and  list  the 
goods  in  such  shape  that  the  matter  can 
be  easily  read  and  kept  on  file. 

The  firms  that  get  out  a  large,  bulky 
catalogue,  such  as  issued  by  Montgom- 
ery Ward,  might  get  along  very  well 
without  follow-up  matter,  because  peo- 
ple keep  these  catalogues  on  hand  and 
refer  to  them  frequently.  Such  firms 
also  advertise  extensively,  so  that  the 
firm  name  is  kept  in  the  public  eye,  as 
are  some  of  their  bargain  offerings. 
But  even  some  of  the  large  firms  are 
sending  out  small  catalogues,  offering 
special  inducements  on  certain  goods  for 
a  limited  length  of  time. 


22 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


If  the  small  firm  would  not  be  forgot- 
ten it  is  very  important  that  it  should 
keep  in  touch  with  customers.  No  mat- 
ter how  satisfactory  the  values  in  past 
business  transactions,  the  old  customers 
are  likely  to  try  otner  concerns  if  the 
advertising  of  these  firms  is  constantly 
before  their  eyes.  The  fact  that  the 
person  answered  your  advertisement 
and  purchased  your  goods  is  excellent 
proof  that  he  will  answer  other  adver- 
tisements if  they  convince  him  that  the 
firm  putting  them  out  has  goods  that  he 
wants  and  is  selling  them  at  a  low 
price. 

Of  course,  when  an  advertiser  is  han- 
dling a  specialty  or  a  line  of  articles 
which,  where  one  purchase  is  made,  it  is 
likely  to  be  sufficient  to  last  the  buyer 
a  lifetime,  it  is  useless  to  send  such  pur- 
chaser new  catalogues  and  try  to  sell 
another  article  of  the  same  class.  For 
instance,  no  one  wants  to  buy  a  piano 
every  year.  But  in  the  case  of  most 
articles,  catalogues  and  circulars  can  be 
profitably  sent  out  to  buyers  whenever 
issued,  and  it  is  well  to  send  a  form  let- 
ter along,  courteously  thanking  the  cus- 
tomer for  past  favors,  and  calling  his 
attention  to  the  new  bargain  offerings 
which  are  being  sent  him. 

Remember,  however,  you  can  only 
hope  to  make  sales  if  you  have  lived  up 
to  your  previous  advertising.  If  you 
have  not  sent  out  goods  that  proved  sat- 
isfactory, if  they  were  not  up  to  your 
description  of  the  articles  in  your  cata- 
logue or  letters,  you  cannot  hope  to  sell 
to  that  party  again. 

Therefore,  lay  a  foundation  for  fol- 
lowing up  your  sales  by  doing  just  as 
your  advertising  matter  says  you  will 
do.  Following  up  replies  and  customers 
is  the  backbone  of  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness. Only  by  doing  it  well  can  a  profit 
be  realized,  and  a  much  larger  profit 
will  result  if  it  is  done  as  well  as  it  can 
be  done  than  if  it  is  done  only  fairly 
well.  Only  a  person  familiar  with  all 
phases  of  the  mail  order  business  is 
competent  to  advise  as  to  the  best  plan 
to  use,  the  best  arguments  to  advance, 
and  to  write  the  letters  in  such  a  way 
as  to  assure  the  largest  possible  results. 

Advertisers  often  request  names  and 
addresses  of  those  known  to  be  inter- 
ested in  their  line  of  goods  when  send- 
ing literature  to  old  customers,  or  even 
when  circularizing  those  who  have 
never  purchased.  Often  some  induce- 


ment, usually  a  discount  on  goods  to  be 
ordered,  is  offered  for  these  names. 
Oftentimes^  it  is  not  found  so  profitable 
to  circularize  addresses  so  obtained  as 
the  advertiser  fancied  it  would  be.  In 
other  cases,  this  method  of  finding  a 
new  public  is  continued  from  year  to 
year,  which  is  very  good  evidence  that 
returns  justify  the  expenditure. 


I  Write 
Follow 
Up  Letters 

of  all  kinds  and  for  all  classes  of 
mail  order  goods.  Recently  I 
wrote  a  series  of  seven  letters 
for  a  mail  order  medical  adver- 
tiser, which  increased  their  cash 
returns  on  their  follow  up  letters 
over  ten  per  cent.  It  took  me 
over  three  weeks  to  write  these 
letters,  but  the  effect  was  cer- 
tainly worth  it  and  the  price 
paid  for  my  work  was  not 
questioned. 

Follow  up  letters  to  bring  re- 
sults cannot  be  dashed  off,  but 
each  sentence,  each  phrase, 
each  word  must  be  carefully 
studied  out. 

I  have  no  set  price  for  follow 
up  letters.  Let  me  know  what 
you  want  and  I  will  make  an 
estimate. 

Arthur  E.  Swett 

Royal  Insurance  Building 
CHICAGO 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTLR  V. 
Novelties,  Cheap  Books,  Etc. 


The  sale  of  cheap  books,  jewelry,  nov- 
elties, etc.,  is  quite  a  profitable  branch 
of  the  mail  order  business.  Although 
some  condemn  this  sort  of  goods  as 
"trash,"  there  is  no  doubt  that  many 
firms  have  made  a  fortune  in  selling 
goods  that  appeal  to  the  passing  fancy. 

There  have  been  a  great  many  small 
ads  constructed  that  call  for  10  or  25 
cents  that  have  been  wonderful  pullers. 
An  ad  of  this  kind  should  offer  some- 
thing of  seemingly  extraordinary  value, 
something  that  will  afford  a  great  deal 
of  amusement  to  the  one  that  buys  it 
and  something  also  that  they  cannot 
obtain  in  their  town. 

It  is  true  that  many  attempt  to  work 
up  a  trade  in  small  novelties  by  adver- 
tising leaders  that  do  not  appeal  to  the 
class  of  people  that  this  advertising  is 
supposed  to  influence.  Do  not  try  to 
advertise  a  box  of  grease  extractor  or 
a  patent  pencil  holder  or  any  article  of 
that  nature  as  a  lo-cent  leader.  The 
class  of  mail  order  buyers  who  answer 
small  ads  are  boys  and  girls  and  young 
men  and  women,  who  are  looking  for  a 
chance  to  spend  their  stray  dimes  and 
quarters.  They  do  not  want  anything 
useful  and  will  not  buy  it  any  more 
than  a  boy  will  take  the  money  that  he 
has  saved  up  for  the  circus  and  buy 
himself  a  necktie. 

SMALL  NOVELTIES   SELL  WELL. 

For  the  man  with  a  small  capital  of, 
say  from  $50  to  $100,  it  is  well  to  make 
his  start  in  the  mail  order  business  by 
handling  his  line  of  small  novelties.  It 
may  not  be  exactly  to  his  liking,  but  it 
is  the  simplest  branch  of  the  mail  or- 
der business,  while  to  handle  agents  re- 
quires experience  and  skill,  and  to  han- 
dle articles  of  heavy  merchandise  or 
ordinary  household  goods  requires  cap- 
ital and  ability  to  invest  money  for  sev- 
eral months  before  any  profits  material- 
ize. This  small  novelty  business  will 
enable  you  to  get  along  with  chances 
in  your  favor  of  at  least  breaking  even, 


and  while  you  are  doing  this  you  are 
also  learning  the  business. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  there  is  no 
book  on  earth  that  can  teach  you  every- 
thing about  the  mail  order  business,  and 
the  longer  you  have  been  in  it  the  bet- 
ter you  will  understand  it.  I  might  also 
truthfully  say  the  less  you  will  know 
about  it.  Advertising  is  largely  a  mat- 
ter of  experience,  and  in  a  book  of  this 
kind  I  can  simply  tell  you  what  experi- 
ence has  been  and  tell  you  what  kind  of 
an  advertisement  would  probably  bring 
replies;  also  what  kind  of  an  advertise- 
ment would  fail. 

A  successful  novelty  dealer  is  one  that 
understands  human  nature  and  who 
gives  the  class  of  people  he  wants  to 
reach  just  what  they  want.  It  is  strange 
but  nevertheless  it  is  true  that  the  ad- 
vertiser who  advertises  a  love  charm  or 
a  collection  of  songs  for  10  cents  will 
make  more  money  than  the  one  who 
advertises  the  patent  pen  and  pencil 
holder,  although  there  is  no  question 
that  the  pen  and  pencil  holder  is  the 
more  valuable  article  of  the  two. 
.  An  attractive  ad  calling  for  10  to  25 
cents  that  will  bring  back  nearly  the 
cost  of  the  advertising,  thus  enabling 
you  to  get  circulars  of  other  goods  into 
the  hands  of  the  buyers  without  extra 
expense,  will  put  your  business  on  a 
paying  basis  in  short  order/ 

Now,  do  not  imagine  that  you  can 
take  a  novelty  and  merely  by  mention- 

McGINTY  WATCH 

Creates  more  fun  and  laughter 
than  a  cage  of  monkeys.  Looks 
like  a  regular  watch.  Plated 
hunting  case  with  chain. 
jWhen  asked  the  time  you  can 
J paralyze  your  friends 
by  pressing  the  clasp  | 
and  "Up  jumps  Mc- 
Ginty"  right  in  their 
face.  Everybody  has  to  laugh.  Don't  fail  to  get  one.  To  in- 
troduce our  big  catalogue  of  Toys.  Notions,  Novelties,  Jewelry, 
Postcards,  etc.  We  send  sample  lOc,  3  for  2oc,  12  for  75c,  post- 
age paid.  U.  8.  CO.,  Dept.  85,  60  Wabash  Ave.  Chicago. 

A  typical  novelty  ad  that  is  a  ten  cent  puller, 
enabling  the  advertiser  to  get  names  to  which 
to  send  out  their  big  catalogue  of  novelties, 
books,  etc. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ing  its  name  and  price  in  a  few  lines  of 
space  attract  any  attention,  because  it 
cannot  be  done. 

The  average  beginner  in  advertising 
reasons  that  because  he  knows  and  is 
fully  convinced  of  the  merits  of  this  or 
that  article  that  all  he  has  to  do  is  to 
mention  it  briefly  and  people  will  want 
to  buy  it. 

Separating  people  from  their  money 
is  a  hard  task.  It  is  especially  hard  in 
mail  order  advertising,  where  the  buyer 
does  not  come  in  contact  with  the  goods 
and  only  knows  of  them  through  a 
printed  description. 


QUICK  ACTION. 

A  great  advantage  in  selling  the  class 
of  goods  under  consideration  is  that  you 
do  not  first  have  to  build  up  a  name  and 
reputation  in  order  to  make  .sales.  Any 
one  will  order  a  small  lo-cent  novelty 
from  an  advertiser  if  it  is  described  in 
such  a  way  as  to  convince  that  it  is 
something  that  is  wanted,  something 
that  is,  unique  and  will  create  a  sensation 
among  the  sender's  acquaintances.  It 
does  not  matter  if  the  advertiser  is  well 
known  or  not.  Ten  cents  is  not  much  to 
risk,  and  the  name  of  the  advertiser  is 
a  matter  of  little  consideration.  When 
an  advertiser  offers  standard  articles,  on 
the  other  hand,  people  want  to  know 
who  he  is,  what  there  is  behind  his 
statements. 

GROWTH. 

People  who  buy  one  lo-cent  novelty, 
if  it  proves  satisfactory,  will  buy  others. 
They  will  get  in  the  habit  of  sending 
orders  amounting  to  from  25  cents  to 
one  dollar  and  upwards  for  an  assort- 
ment of  games,  novelties,  books,  jew- 
elry, etc.  If  they  still  get  satisfaction, 
the  advertiser  can  gradually  add  more 
expensive  articles  to  his  line,  and  send 
circulars  of  them  to  his  old  customers, 
and  if  anything  is  desired  in  that  line 
he  has  a  better  prospect  of  selling  it 
than  if  he  had  purchased  the  names  and 
sent  a  catalogue  or  circular  of  high 
priced  goods  at  the  start.  The  young 
people  of  the  family  usually  order  the 
cheap  novelties.  Tne  older  people  will 
see  the  circulars  sent,  however,  and  will 
also  know  about  how  promptly  the 
goods  have  been  sent,  and  wnat  values 


have  been  given.  Then  the  younger  peo- 
ple will  be  gradually  getting  older  and 
be  in  the  market  for  more  expensive 
goods.  Cheap  jewelry  should  form  a 
part  of  the  catalogue  or  circular  matter 
sent  to  those  answering  a  novelty  or 
song  book  or  cheap  jewelry  ad,  gradu- 
ally a  more  expensive  line  of  articles 
can  be  added.  There  is  an  opportunity 
to  grow  in  this  branch  of  the  mail 
order  business,  as  in  every  other,  and 
this  branch  does  not  require  the  capital 
or  experience  that  most  other  branches 
demand.  Nearly  every  successful  firm 
began  small  and  gradually  worked  up 
into  a  more  expensive  line.  Sears,  Roe- 
buck &  Co.  began  business  in  Minneap- 
olis, handling  a  rather  cheap  line  of 
jewelry  and  watches.  Gradually  higher 
priced  goods  in  watches,  diamonds  ana 
jewelry  were  added,  and  then  ail  other 
kinds  of  goods. 

The  great  mail  order  jewelry  firm  of 
the  Baird-North  Company  began  with 
a  sixteen-page  catalogue  of  silver  nov- 
elties and  gradually  added  to  their  line 
until  it  includes  all  kinds  of  high  class 
articles  in  gold,  silver  and  gems.  If 
you  have  it  in  you,  you  can  work  from 
small  beginning.  The  cheap  line  is  the 
best  for  the  man  of  small  capital  and 
little  business  experience. 

SOME  HINTS. 

There  are  many  firms  sending  put 
catalogues  of  novelties  and  similar 
goods,  but  most  of  them  are  not  stay- 
ers. If  you  have  the  pluck  to  hang  on, 
you  can  gradually  get  the  business  on  a 
paying  basis,  while  those  who  drop  out 
will  lessen  your  competition. 

Follow-up  letters  can  often  be  profit- 
ably used  to  follow  up  orders  and  re- 
plies when  handling  this  class  of  goods. 
A  letter  calling  attention  to  a  catalogue 
or  circulars  will  cause  a  more  attentive 
consideration. 

One  of  the  disadvantages  which  is 
experienced  in  selling  this  class  of  goods 
is  the  large  number  of  orders  received 
from  children  for  5  or  10  cents'  worth 
of  goods.  The  cost  of  postage  and 
packing  takes  all  the  profit  off  such 
small  orders.  In  order  to  reduce  this 
class  of  business  to  a  minimum  and  to 
encourage  larger  orders,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  offer  premiums  for  orders 
amounting  to  50  cents,  one  dollar,  two 
dollars,  etc. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


SELECTION  OF  CIRCULARS. 

The  selection  of  proper  circulars  to 
follow  up  those  who  answer  your  ad  is 
quite  a  task,  but  remember  to  send  cir- 
culars of  goods  similar  to  those  men- 
tioned in  your  ad.  If  you  advertise  a 
book  in  your  ad  it  would  be  a  good  plan 
to  send  a  circular  of  other  books,  be- 
cause you  have  evidence  that  the  party 
who  answered  your  ad  is  in  the  habit 
of  buying  books.  An  advertisement  of 
novelty  should  be  followed  up  with  a 
catalogue  of  other  novelties. 

A  collection  of  popular  songs  is  an 
excellent  article  to  advertise  to  get  quick 
replies,  and  a  song  collection  which  you 
can  advertise  at  10  cents  you  can  pur- 
chase from  Will  Rossiter,  56  Fifth  ave- 
nue, Chicago. 

He  also  has  a  number  of  fast  selling 
books  that  would  be  suitable  to  adver- 
tise as  leaders.  He  also  has  ready  print- 
ed circulars  of  books,  songs,  etc. 

"Ready  made"  circulars  with  your  im- 
print on,  describing  fast  selling  goods 
that  should  pull  well,  when  sent  to  the 
class  of  people  who  would  answer  the 
above  ads,  may  be  had  from  the  follow- 
ing firms  : 

F.  N.  Lupton,  27-28  City  Hall  place, 
New  York,  supplies  an  excellent  circu- 
lar of  fast  selling  10  cent  books  at  a 
very  low  cost. 

The  Rex  Trade  Supply  House,  108 
Fulton  street,  New  York,  have  various 
circulars  of  fast  selling  books  that  they 
furnish  cheap,  including  a  circular  of 
"sixty  books  for  32  cents." 

Circulars  of  fast  selling  novelties  or 
catalogues  of  novelties,  witn  your  im- 
print on,  may  be  had  of  I.  Whiteson, 
240  East  Madison  street,  Chicago. 

He  also  fills  your  orders  direct  to 
your  customers,  so  that  in  using  his 
novelty  catalogue  you  will  not  have  to 
carry  a  big  stock  of  goods  on  hand. 

Manhattan  Supply  House,  416  Dear- 
born street,  Chicago,  have  an  excellent 
catalogue  of  cheap  books,  also  circulars. 

Communicate  also  with  the  Murphy 
Manufacturing  Company,  Stamford, 
Conn. 


Eureka  Trick  and  Novelty  Company, 
New  York. 

Chas.  E.  Marshall,  Lockport,  N.  Y. 

From  these  you  can  select  a  number 
of  articles  and  make  up  your  batch  of 
follow-up  circulars  or  catalogues. 


P^^o^i^y  JL™s 

Words  and  .Music  for  Piano  orOrsran.  Also  CreoleBelles. 


ords  and  Music  for  Piano  or  Organ.  AlsoCreoleBelles, 
I  Wants  a  Man  Like  Romeo,  Please  Go  way  and  Let  Me 
Bleep,  Go  way  Back  and  Sit  Down,  Susan  Van  Doozen. 
Mid  the  Orange  Trees  and  Blossoms.  Dear  Genevieve. 
and  33  other  Very  Latest  Sone8,includlng  the  great 
descriptive  song,  when  Mammy  Rocks  her  Little  One  to 
Sleep,  and  the  HOOOOsong-success,  HIAWATHA 
The  biggest,  brightest  and  best  collection  of  genuine 
songs  ever  published,  including  Ragtime,  Coon.  Comic,  Senti 
Also  a  big  collection  of  Minstrel  Jokes  and  Magle  Trlek8,includlng  How  to  Pass 
a  Card  through  a  Handkerchief  and  How  to  Bite  Nails  in  Two,  fully  illustrated: 
also  a  Guide  to  Flirtation,  a  bunch  of  Red-Hot  Monologues,  a  coupon  good  for  11.00 
worth  of  our  goods,  and  a  PR  |  Z  £  Tl  C  K  ET  which  entitles  you  to  a  Free 
nts,  to  introduce  our  Mammoth  Catalogue. 
St.,  CHICAGO, 

Collections  of  popular  songs  are  very  attrac- 
tive. The  above  advertisement  pulls  several 
hundred  thousand  replies  every  season.  Novelty 
and  book  catalogues  and  circulars  are  mailed 
with  each  order  filled. 


LEARN  MIND  READIN8 

and  how  to  control  the  mind  of  others.  Our  book 


, 

Fountain  Pen.    All  for  only  10  cents,  to  introduce  our  Mammoth  Catalogue. 
Address,    LEWIS  MUSIC  CO.,  Dept.  18,     610  Jacks 


teaches  the  subject  of  mind  reading,  makes  every 
ing  so  clear  thatany  person  can  understand  and 
become  an  expert  mind  reader  in  a  short  time. 
Tou  can  mystify  your  friends,  gire  public  enteruiif 
>nt«  and  help  yourself  to  social  and  buiioeM 
uccess.  Our  book  explains  all  the  feau  of  all 
the  mind  •  readers  now  before  the  public. 
Yoa  Can  Do  Them  All.  Also  tells  how  to  con- 
trol fh«  mind*  of  dogt  or  other  animals  and  mate 
tbem  do  laemingly  imoonlblcfriu.  "TheM»» 
tery  nf  Mind  Reading  (U»eal«l  "  sent  postpaid  on  r«c«ipt  of  2  S  CENTS 
CUtUi,  WIU,UB9*CO  7l4iCh*m»laln*».D*pt.  tuieag* 

A  book  ad  that  proved  a  good  "puller,"  enab- 
ling the  firm  to  get  out  their  catalogue  into  the 
hands  of  buyers  at  small  cost. 

RIP-ROARING  (50MIC  POST 

ill  send 


Oft  DLTIO 

UAIfUd 


Post  Cards  FREE  to  anyone  sending 
us  ten  cents  for  a  three  months'  trial 
subscription  to  FARM    MONEY 
MAKER,  the  great  family  home 
and  farm  magazine.  The  cards 
are  printed  in  many  colors,  no 
two  alike.  Comic  Post  Cards 
are  al  1  the  rage.    These  are 
'  funniest  you  ever  saw  and 
ft.  would  make  a  wooden  In- 

mm      ^  --  r  r-  -nvw^—r  —  *dian  laugh.  We  will  return 
your  money  if  you  are  not 

satisfied.  Send  10  cents  (silver  or  stamps;  for  10  Post 
Cards  and  Magazine.  Two  Extra  Colored  Art  Cards 
8,ent  Free  if  you  i  write  today.  All  new  subjects  just  out. 
FARM  MONEY  MAKER,  28  E.3rdSt.,Cincinnati,Ohio. 
Post  cards  are  a  strong  "puller"  for  mail  order 
business.  The  above  advertisement  shows  how 
a  publisher  sells  post  cards  in  connection  with 
subscriptions  to  his  paper. 


26 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Selling  Through  Agents. 


Selling  goods  through  canvassing 
agents  is  probably  the  most  difficult 
branch  of  the  mail  order  business,  al- 
though to  a  novice  it  seems  easy.  I  be- 
lieve that  the  time  is  past,  except  in  ex- 
ceptional cases,  where  business  can  be 
done  by  agents  on  a  cash  basis — that  is, 
for  agents  to  send  in  cash  in  advance 
for  the  goods.  Most  of  the  large  houses 
who  deal  through  canvassing  agents 
have  inaugurated  the  practice  of  extend- 
ing credit.  They  require,  of  course,  ref- 
erence or  endorsement  of  some  responsi- 
ble party  in  the  town  where  the  agent 
hails  from. 

A  good  specialty  like  the  chemical  ink 
eraser  of  the  Monroe  Manufacturing 
Company  or  the  patent  pens  of  the 
Braham  Pen  Company  can  be  made  to 
pay,  but  it  requires  a  great  deal  of  skill 
to  present  a  proposition  by  means  of 
circular  letters,  etc.  After  the  Agents 
are  secured  there  is  also  considerable 
difficulty  in  keeping  them  in  line. 

Many  of  the  agents'  propositions  real- 
ly aim  to  sell  the  agent  a  sample  outfit 
or  first  lot  of  goods,  and  the  advertisers 
never  expect  to  hear  from  them  again 
after  they  have  loaded  them  up. 

Then,  of  course,  there  are  other  ad- 
vertisers who  have  goods  of  merit, 
whose  agents  canvass  for  them  all  the 
year  round  for  the  purpose  of  earning  a 
living. 

Books  sell  well  through  agents,  es- 
pecially during  the  holidays  and  winter. 
Books  treating  of  timely  events,  as,  .for 
example,  the  Galveston  hurricane  or  the 
Martinique  horror,  sell  well  for  a  few 
months  after  these  events.  During  the 
presidential  campaign  the  lives  of  the 
candidates  sell  well. 

MUST   HAVE   A   GOOD   ARTICLE. 

If  you  want  to  sell  your  goods  through 
agents,  unless  you  are  merely  working 
them  on  a  sample  outfit,  you  must  have 
something  that  agents  can  sell  if  they 
try,  something  that  has  genuine  merit 
and  plenty  of  talking  points.  An  article 


does  not  necessarily  have  to  be  new  in 
order  to  be  a  good  seller,  although  new 
articles  of  merit  are  naturally  preferred. 

The  Monroe  Manufacturing  Company 
has  been  selling  its  chemical  eraser 
through  agents  for  the  past  ten  or  fif- 
teen years,  and  apparently  they  are  do- 
ing as  much  business  as  ever. 

In  order  to  handle  agents  successfully 
it  is  essential  to  have  an  advertisement 
that  will  attract  their  attention.  You 
would  then  need  an  attractive  circular 
of  your  article,  or  perhaps  a  small  book- 
let. This  circular  or  booklet  should  go 
into  the  merits  of  it  and  should  describe 
it  fully,  showing  up  its  talking  points 
and  attempting  to  convince  the  agent 
that  it  is  an  easy  article  for  him  to  sell. 
Then  you  should  have  a  circular  letter 
in  which  you  make  him  your  prices, 
terms,  etc.,  and  if  you.  are  willing  to  sell 
him  on  credit  this  letter  should  ask  him 
for  references,  etc.  Some  firms  sell 
sample  outfits  by  offering  the  agent  a 
salary  of  $15  to  $20  a  week  or  some 
such  an  amount,  but  the  conditions  of 
the  salary  are  that  he  shall  sell  a  few 
dollars'  worth  of  goods,  so  that  the  firm 
can  determine  how  rapidly  he  sells 
them.  Sometimes  they  state  that  if  he 
can  succeed  in  selling  the  goods  in  a  day 
they  will  sign  a  contract  with  him  at  a 
salary  of  $15  to  $20  a  week.  When  the 
agent  receives  the  contract  he  finds  he 
must  sell  a  specified  amount  of  goods. 

It  is  true  that  a  certain  proportion  of 
those  who  answer  agents'  wanted  ad- 
vertisements are  mere  curiosity  seekers, 
but  you  cannot  tell  them  from  those  who 
mean  business.  It  is  well  to  follow  up 
all  replies  you  get,  as  it  frequently  hap- 
pens that  at  the  time  the  agent  writes 
you  he  is  not  open  to  your  proposition, 
and  by  writing  him  two  or  three  times, 
at  frequent  intervals,  you  can  possibly 
find  him  when  he  is  in  a  mood  to  trans- 
act business  with  you. 

After  you  have  secured  your  agents  it 
is  unnecessary  perhaps  to  say  that  you 
should  acknowledge  receipt  of  all  or- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ders,  remittances,  etc.,  promptly  on  the 
day  received. 

MEDIUMS  TO  USE. 

In  advertising  for  agents  the  mediums 
that  can  be  used  are  the  classified  col- 
umns of  the  daily  papers  and  the  mail 
order  weeklies  and  monthlies.  The 
daily  papers  bring  a  lot  of  replies,  and 
returns  are  quick,  but  they  contain  a 
larger  proportion  of  curiosity  seekers 
than  do  the  inquiries  received  from  the 
weeklies  and  monthlies.  I  prefer  adver- 
tising in  the  weeklies  or  monthlies,  as 
they  reach  a  better  class  of  people  for 
the  mail  order  business,  and  besides 
there  is  an  opportunity  to  display  the  ad- 
vertisement, also  to  illustrate  it. 

It  is  well  to  illustrate  the  article, 
thereby  giving  the  prospective  agent  an 
idea  as  to  what  the  article  is  that  you 
desire  to  have  him  handle. 

Another  class  of  agents'  propositions 
are  those  that  mean  to  sell  the  agent 
something  with  which  he  can  make 
money,  such  as  vending  machine,  knit- 
ter, printing  press,  plating  outfit,  etc.  It 
requires  considerable  skill  to  construct 
advertising  literature  for  a  proposition 
of  this  kind. 

LARGE  PROFITS  FOR  THE 
AGENT. 

Agents  demand  large  profits  on  the 
goods  they  handle,  and  they  still  wish 
to  handle  articles  of  sufficient  merit  to 
sell  well.  A  first  class,  experienced 
agent  can  sell  almost  anything,  but  such 
an  agent  can  choose  his  own  proposition 
and  make  his  own  terms.  Most  agents 
are  amateurs  and  are  looking  for  arti- 
cles that  will  sell  themselves. 

Books  give  a  profit  of  100  per  cent  to 
the  agent  usually,  and  they  are  allowed 
to  make  payment  after  delivery.  Small 
articles,  selling  for  10  or  25  cents  should 
allow  the  agent  a  profit  of  150  to  200 
per  cent,  especially  if  he  is  required  to 
pay  for  them  in  advance.  A  big  profit 
enables  the  agent  to  sell  through  sub- 
agents  and  to  still  make  a  large  profit. 
Where  cash  is  required  in  advance,  it  is 
desirable  to  offer  the  prospective  agent 
the  general  agency  for  his  territory,  and 
be  able  to  show  the  large  amount  of 
money  he  can  make  by  the  work  of  oth- 
ers. Of  course  a  certain  minimum 
quantity  must  be  ordered  in  order  to  re- 
ceive the  general  agency,  and  this  kind 
of  an  offer  serves  to  stimulate  large  or- 
ders. The  manufacturer  can  afford  to 


sell  the  goods  in  large  quantities  for  cash 
at  a  small  margin  of  profit,  and  if 
the  goods  are  low  in  price  and  offer  a 
big  profit  to  the  agent  it  is  possible  to 
get  the  cash  orders;  but  in  the  case  of 
more  costly  articles,  such  as  books,  medi- 
cines, etc.,  it  is  best  to  sell  on  credit, 
taking  the  proper  precautions  to  avoid 
loss,  and  when  this  is  done  the  agency 
firm  must  figure  a  large  margin  of  profit 
^o  cover  costs  of  collection,  an  occa- 
sional loss,  etc. 

A  firm  in  the  west  has  worked  up  a 
large  business  by  placing  a  silver  polish 
through  agents.  The  goods  are  sold  to 
agents  at  $6  per  hundred  packages,  or 
at  a  still  lower  price  in  larger  quantities. 
The  polish  retails  at  25  cents  per  pack- 
age, and  the  consumer  gets  good  value 
at  that,  as  the  packages  contain  twelve 
ounces  of  the  powder  and  the  powder 
does  the  work  for  which  it  is  designed. 
Indeed,  an  article  of  this  kind  should 
be  right  as  to  quality,  because  it  is 
necessary  to  demonstrate  it  in  order  to 
make  sales. 

THE  LITERATURE  NEEDED. 

The  literature  with  which  to  interest 
agents  consists  besides  the  ad  of  a  book- 
let or  circular  describing  the  merits  of 
the  article  and  showing  why  it  should  be 
easy  to  make  large  sales,  a  form  letter 
to  go  along  with  such  a  booklet  or  cir- 
cular quoting  terms,  and  two  or  more 
follow-up  letters.  Circulars  showing 
what  other  agents  have  done  with  the 
article  will  also  do  much  to  convince  the 
prospective  agent.  Testimonials  are 
quite  as  valuable  when  going  after  agents 
as  when  trying  to  sell  a  medicine.  If 
one  agent  writes  and  says  he  is  making 
$10  per  day  and  doing  it  easy,  while  he 
made  a  failure  of  trying  to  sell  other 
lines,  it  will  go  far  to  convince  the  pros- 
pective agent  that  the  line  advertised  is 
the  one  to  handle.  Some  firms  use  pic- 
tures of  the  successful  agents  along 
with  their  testimonials.  This  flatters  the 
agent  and  adds  interest  to  what  he  says 
in  the  case  of  most  readers. 

To  stimulate  sales  and  to  insure  the 
agents  handling  the  article  for  a  consid- 
erable length  of  time,  some  advertisers 
offer  premiums  to  those  making  the 
largest  sales  during  the  course  of  the 
year.  These  premiums  often  consist  of 
a  certain  amount  in  gold,  watches,  trips 
to  Europe  or  the  equivalent  in  cash,  etc. 
Then  some  firms  offer  a  premium  extra 


28 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


to  every  agent  selling  a  certain  amount 
of  the  goods. 

Every  agency  firm  of  much  preten- 
sions sends  carefully  written  instruc- 
tion with  the  first  bill  of  goods.  These 
instructions  give  many  pointers  to  the 
beginner  as  to  the  best  way  to  make 
sales.  A  "talk"  is  included  for  the  agent 
to  memorize  and  reel  off,  if  he  is  not 
capable  of  doing  his  own  talking. 

The  agency  field  is  a  good  one  to 
work,  if  one  has  the  right  article  and  the 
ability  to  push  it  in  this  way.  Get  a 
hundred  good  agents  working  for  you 
and  profits  are  likely  to  come  in  fast. 
But  first  you  must  get  your  agent — and 
it  is  hard  to  get  answers  from  the  right 
class ;  there  are  lots  of  curiosity  seekers, 
who  are  looking  for  a  chance  to  make 
money  without  working,  who  answer 
this  class  of  ads.  Many  are  ne'er  do 
wells,  who  will  not  take  up  the  work 
and  would  not  succeed  if  they  did.  It  is 
hardest  to  get  good  agents  during  pros- 
perous times.  Every  one  who  wants  to 
work  can  find  work  to  do,  and  most 
people  prefer  to  work  for  wages  rather 
than  to  sell  goods  by  a  house  to  house 
canvass. 

In  hard  times,  when  work  is  scarce, 
many  out  of  employment  try  the  agency 
business;  but  of  course  there  is  less 
chance  of  sales  in  hard  times,  and  more 
agents  out  after  what  money  there  is. 

The  very  strongest  and  most  carefully 
considered  literature  should  be  used 
when  trying  to  interest  agents.  There  is 
lots  of  competition,  and  if  an  agent  is  to 
take  up  your  proposition,  you  -must  show 
him  good  and  convincing  reasons  why 
he  should  do  so.  Every  good  agent  who 
stays  with  you  any  length  of  time  will 
put  lots  of  easily  made  money  in  your 
pocket.  The  man  who  can  and  will  sell 
goods  is  a  valuable  man  and  no  trouble 
or  expense  should  be  spared  in  bringing 
him  your  way,  and  when  you  have  se- 
cured him,  see  that  he  stays  with  you,  if 
fair  and  courteous  treatment  will  induce 
him  to  do  so. 

Agents  in  most  cases  do  not  stay  with 
one  article  long.  They  see  some  other 
article  advertised  which  they  think  will 
pay  better  and  take  that  up  instead. 
Then  some  agents  merely  take  up  the 
sale  of  an  article  in  order  to  earn  the 
money  for  some  particular  purpose.  A 
student  works  during  vacations  in  order 
to  continue  in  school;  country  teachers 
and  ministers  often  take  an  agency  in 
order  to  increase  their  small  income. 


Farmers'  sons  take  an  agency  during  the 
winter  months  when  there  is  little  to  do 
on  the  farm.  Some  who  begin  in  this 
way  like  the  work,  and,  finding  they  can 
make  more  money  and  make  it  easier 
than  in  other  occupations,  stay  in  the 
business. 

A  BOOK  AGENT'S  LETTER. 

The  following  letter,  sent  out  by  an 
enterprising  Philadelphia  publishing 
house  to  their  prospective  agents,  will 
give  some  ideas  along  the  line  of  clever 
circular  letter  construction : 

Esteemed  Friend:  If  you  are  willing 
to  work  for  $75.00  per  month  for  the 
first  three  months,  $85.00  per  month  for 
the  next  three  months,  and  $100.00  per 
month  for  the  balance  of  the  year,  we 
think  a  satisfactory  arrangement  can  be 
made. 

We  want  a  live,  energetic  person  to 
represent  us  in  a  number  of  counties,  to 
travel  and  appoint  agents  for  our  vari- 
ous publications.  Your  duties  will  be 
to  go  from  town  to  town,  appoint  and 
drill  canvassers,  thus  giving  satisfactory 
employment  to  those  out  of  work  and 
to  those  who  are  employed  at  unsat- 
isfactory wages.  You  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  agents  after  they  are  ap- 
pointed. These  agents  send  their  or- 
ders and  reports  direct  to  us.  The  work 
is  not  hard,  but  pleasant  and  profitable 
and  we  are  sure  you  will  like  it.  In 
addition  to  the  above  salary  we  allow 
our  General  Agents  their  traveling  ex- 
penses, such  as  railroad  fare,  hotel  bills, 
etc.  When  you  become  General  Agent 
for  us  prospectuses,  circulars,  envelopes 
and  everything  necessary  for  the  work 
will  be  sent  you  in  a  splendid  sample  case. 

In  order  to  be  successful  as  our  Gen- 
eral Agent,  it  is  necessary  that  you 
should  become  thoroughly  familiar  with 
our  plans  and  methods  of  doing  business 
and  to  have  become  thoroughly  enthused 
and  know  all  about  at  least  one  of 
our  publications.  Before  beginning  the 
work,  therefore,  as  General  Agent,  we 
shall  expect  you  to  devote  at  least 
twenty-four  days  to  canvassing  for  one 
of  our  publications,  and  the  one  we  want 
you  to  start  with  is  fully  described  by 
the  enclosed  circulars.  We  know  that 
you  will  at  once  'recognize  the  merits 
and  selling  qualities  of  this  valuable 
work.  Be  sure  to  read  'the  circular 
carefully.  We  know  from  actual  experi- 
ence that  it  will  pay  you  to  do  as  sug- 
gested above,  because  the  successful  gen- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS, 


29 


eral  agent  is  the  one  capable  of  drill- 
ing the  agents  he  appoints  in  such  a  way 
that  they  will  be  able  to  do  good  work 
and  to  make  many  sales.  You  cannot 
do  this  unless  you  know  how  to  canvass 
yourself  and  learn  our  methods  from 
actual  experience. 

We  guarantee  to  allow  you  as  per 
memorandum  of  contract  enclosed  here- 
with, $72.00  for  the  24  days'  preliminary 
work,  or  $3.00  per  day  irrespective  of 
the  number  of  books  that  you  sell,  and 
you  will  be  entitled  to  the  general 
agent's  position  whether  you  sell  one 
book  or  one  hundred.  All  we  ask  is 
for  you  to  do  your  level  best  in  the  24 
days,  and  then  order  and  remit  for  the 
books  you  have  sold.  Of  course,  while 
you  are  doing  tnis  preliminary  work  we 
expect  you  to  do  your  level  best  to  sell 
just  as  many  books  as  possible.  You 
ought  to  be  able  to  sell  from  75  to  100 
books  during  this  time,  and  if  you  ac- 
complish this,  it  will  make  you  even 
more  than  the  amount  which  we  guar- 
antee to  allow.  We  want  you  to  be  suc- 
cessful as  a  General  Agent,  and  if  you 
will  follow  our  advice  and  instructions 
we  feel  quite  sure  that  you  will  prove  a 
valuable  person  to  us. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  you  should 
have  had  any  experience  in  general 
agency  work  or  in  canvassing,  as  we  will 
take  hold  with  you  and  show  you  how 
to  make  a  success.  Our  plans  are  the 
best  and  they  insure  success  to  a  person 
of  ordinary  ability — one  who  has  push, 
grit  and  common  sense. 

We  enclose  herewith  a  memorandum 
contract  which  please  sign  and  return  to 
us  with  your  order  for  canvassing  out- 
fit, accompanied  by  $1.00.  We  will  then 


send  duplicate  contract  signed  by  us,  and 
at  the  same  time  forward  you  promptly 
a  complete  canvassing  outfit  with  all 
necessary  instructions  for  the  24  days' 
preliminary  work.  You  can  make  a 
copy  of  this  contract  so  as  to  see  that 
the  one  we  send  you  is  exactly  like  the 
one  you  have  signed. 

We  have  another  party  in  view  for 
this  position,  but  we  believe  you  can 
do  more  business  than  any  one  else  we 
know  of,  and  hence  we  ask  you  to  en- 
gage with  us.  We  hope,  therefore,  you 
will  let  us  hear  from  you  by  return  mail 
as  we  want  to  get  some  one  started  on 
the  road  as  general  agent  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment. 

We  shall  expect  the  courtesy  of  a  re- 
ply by  return  mail. 

Yours  very  truly, 

P.  S. — As  to  our  financial  standing 
we  refer  you  to  any  bank  or  the  com- 
mercial agencies.  In  .looking  up  our 
rating  look  for  the  People's  Publishing- 
Company  as  the  Century  Manufacturing 
Company  is  a  department  of  this  firm. 

You  will  find  us  rated  at  from  $75,000 
to  $125,000. 

P.  S. — No.  2. — It  may  be  possible  that 
you  will  not  be  able  to  accept  our  gen- 
eral agency  proposition  on  account  of 
having  to  leave  home  and  travel.  If  this 
is  the  case  we  would  be  glad  to  have 
you  to  take  hold  of  one  of  our  popular 
and  rapid  selling  subscription  books  and 
canvass  for  it  on  a  commission  basis 
and  work  in  your  leisure  hours.  We 
have  hundreds  of  agents  who  work  for 
us  in  this  way  and  they  make  from 
$40.00  to  $50.00  per  month.  If  you  de- 
sire the  Local  Agency  send  us  20  cents 


$10.00  SAMPLE  WATCH  and 


AGENTS  OUTFIT  FREE 


To  help  introduce  our  famous  $10.0(  Evington  watch  in  every 
locality,  we  want  men  and  women  everywhere  to  wear  these 
watches  and  sell  them  among  their  friends.  For  this  service  we 
give  liberal  pay  and  a  Sample  Watch  Free.  This  watch  is  fully 
guaranteed  for  25  years  and  has  elegant  engraved  gold  laid  case, 
ruby  jeweled  movement,  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  carry  one  of 
these  watches  with  you  and  show  it  to  your  friends  and'you  will 
soon  sell  enough  to  handsomely  increase  your  income.  We  guar- 
antee $18  to  $30  a  week  to  agents  who  devote  their  entire  time 
to  the  sale  of  these  watches.  Sell  one  watch  and  you  can  easily  sell 
a  dozen  more  in  the  same  locality.  Write  now  for  sample  watch 
and  terms  to  OGDEN  JEWELRY  CO.,  Dept.  Chicago,  III.  _, 


How  a  Chicago  watch  firm  advertised  for  agents.  There  is,  of  course,  a  "string"  to  the  proposi- 
tion, but  the  above  advertisement  is  so  attractive  that  replies  come  in  by  the  thousand  from  those 
who  want  to  get  the  free  watch  and  outfit. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


to  help  cover  the  cost  of  mailing  you  the 
outfit,  and  we  will  send  same  with  full 
instructions  prepaid — stamps  will  do.  In 
writing  say  whether  you  want  the  gen- 
eral agency  or  the  local  agency. 

C.  M.  CO. 

"BLIND"  ADVERTISING. 

An  advertisement  which  does  not  tell 
what  the  goods  are  that  the  advertiser 
is  selling,  but  relies  upon  vague  prom- 
ises to  arouse  interest  or  curiosity,  is 
called  a  "blind"  ad.  It  is  the  adver- 
tiser's purpose,  in  putting  out  an  ad  of 
this  kind,  to  draw  more  inquiries  than  a 
straightforward  ad  which  described  the 
proposition  would  do,  and  then  to  rely 
upon  the  literature  and  follow  up  let- 
ters to  bring  in  a  profitable  volume  of 
business. 

The  blind  ad  is  often  a  small  ad,  and 
in  some  cases  the  advertiser  could  not 
give  adequate  treatment  to  the  adver- 
tised article  in  such  small  space.  The 
general  run  of  this  class  of  advertising 
is  of  the  business  opportunity  or  home 
work  type.  Many  advertisers  who  go 
out  after  agents  do  not  tell  what  the 
goods  are  that  the  agents  are  to  sell,  but 
make  promises  of  big  pay,  describing  the 
proposition  at  length  in  the  advertising 
matter  that  is  sent  to  inquirers. 

The  blind  ad  should  always  be  so  con- 
structed as  to  interest  a  class  that  is 
likely  to  be  able  and  willing  to  buy  the 
goods  put  out  by  the  advertiser.  The 
large  number  of  inquiries  mean  a  posi- 
tive loss  to  the  advertiser,  unless  he  can 
induce  a  sufficient  proportion  of  the  in- 
quirers to  buy  goods. 

Many  advertisers  prefer  to  have  a 
smaller  volume  of  answers  and  greater 
surety  of  the  interest  that  the  inquirers 
have  in  the  proposition. 

For  instance,  here  is  the  kind  of  prob- 
lem that  an  advertiser  is  sometimes 


called  upon  to  face :  He  is  advertising 
for  agents ;  his  goods  are  a  line  of  me- 
dicinal preparations.  He  is  aware  that 
many  agents  have  a  prejudice  against 
handling  this  class  of  articles.  Shall 
he  advertise :  "A  snap  for  agents — $20 
to  $50  weekly  easily  made,"  or  thus : 
''Agents  wanted  for  a  fast-selling  line 
of  medicines — $20  to  $50  weekly  easily 
made." 

In  the  first  case  all  sorts  of  agents,  and 
those  looking  for  agency  work,  would 
answer  the  ad — many  of  these  might 
not  care  to  handle  medicines  under  any 
circumstances.  The  literature  would 
have  to  be  exceptionally  strong  to  bring 
many  of  these  inquirers  to  the  buying 
point. 

In  the  second  case,  the  advertiser 
could  depend  upon  the  fact  that  those 
who  answered  would  not  be  prejudiced 
against  a  medical  proposition ;  many  of 
them,  it  is  evident,  would  prefer  to  han- 
dle medicines.  All  that  it  would  be 
necessary  for  the  literature  to  do  would 
be  to  persuade  prospective  agents  that 
the  remedies  were  a  popular  kind,  and 
that  the  terms  and  wholesale  prices  were 
right., 

But  the  first  ad  would  bring  more  in- 
quiries. It  might  not  bring  the  more 
agents,  and  the  more  orders. 


This  firm  has  been  singularly  successful  in  get- 
ting good  results  from  small  advertisements. 
The  above  advertisement  runs  in  a  large  list  of 
paper?  during  the  season.  It  attracts  a  large 
number  of  inquiries  from  prospective  agents,  and 
their  elaborate  "follow  up"  system  gets  the  busi- 
ness. Of  course  the  salary  offered  of  $18.00  a 
week  is  contingent  upon  their  selling  a  certain 
amount  of  goods  each  month,  as  no  firm  can  af- 
ford to  give  something  for  nothing.  This  point 
is  fully  covered  in  their  contract  which  they 
make  with  their  agents. 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS, 


CHAPTER  VII. 


By  the  Way. 


Here  are  a  few  hints,  "by  the  way," 
to  those  who  are  handling  novelties  and 
expect  results  from  their  ads,  that  are 
out  of  proportion  to  the  amount  ex- 
pended. Many  who  start  the  mail  order 
business  fail  at  it,  because  they  expect 
more  than  is  possible  and  do  not  con- 
sider that  if  the  mail  order  business  con- 
sisted only  of  putting  an  ad  in  a  paper 
and  drawing  out  the  money,  there  would 
be  a  mail  order  firm  in  every  home  in 
America. 

Always  remember  there  are  few  10  or 
25  cent  articles,  unless  it  is  an  extreme 
novelty,  that  will  bring  back  enough  from 
the  face  of  the  ad  for  you  to  make  a 
profitable  income.  It  is  the  business 
that  you  get  afterwards  that  pays.  You 
ought  to  have  circulars  of  other  goods 
to  send  out  with  every  order  you  fill.  If 
the  first  thing  you  sold  gives  satisfac- 
tion, future  orders  are  sure  to  follow. 

THE  MAIL  ORDER  SPECIALTY. 

The  question  will  perhaps  be  asked — 
is  it  possible  to  advertise  the  single  arti- 
cle as  a  mail  order  proposition? 

Well,  that  depends.  If  the  single  ar- 
ticle is  to  be  sold,  and  no  other  goods 
listed,  it  should  either  be  something  that 
can  be  sold  again  and  again  to  the  same 
people,  or  else  the  price  and  profit  must 
be  large  enough  so  that  a  profit  can  be 
made  on  each  sale,  and  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  it  costs  money  to  make 
first  sales. 

Let  us  take  the  article  that  can  be 
sold  again  to  old  customers — a  good 
example  of  this  kind  of  a  mail  order 
article  is  the  cigar  specialties  sold  by 
Rogers.  The  only  way  in  which  this 
manufacturer  can  hope  to  realize  a  profit 
is  by  giving  such  satisfaction,  that  a 
large  proportion  of  those  who  buy  once 
will  become  permanent  customers.  But 
if  this  is  done,  he  can  afford  to  pay 
twice  the  price  of  each  first  box  sold 
as  advertising  expenses.  A  box  of  ci- 
gars is  soon  smoked  up,  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  make  large  profits  on  each 


box  of  cigars,  if  old  customers  can 
be  held. 

A  good  example  of  the  high-priced 
single  article  would  be  a  piano.  People 
are  not  buying  an  article  of  this  kind 
often.  For  most  families,  one  will  last 
a  lifetime.  It  is  therefore  necessary  for 
the  advertiser  to  make  a  price  on  the 
goods  that  will  include  the  advertising 
expenses  and  a  fair  margin  of  profit. 
Selling  expenses  must  be  included  in 
the  price  of  each  piano;  They  cannot 
be  spread  out  among  several  pianos  to 
be  sold  in  the  future,  as  in  the  case 
when  selling  cigars.  Selling  expenses 
are  so  high,  however,  when  pianos  are 
sold  through  the  agency  system,  that 
the  mail  order  piano  dealer  can  usually 
give  better  values  than  can  the  manu- 
facturer who  sells  through  agents. 

There  will  be  some  sales  made  to 
friends  of  those  who  have  already  pur- 
chased, and  the  manufacturer  will  be 
able  to  make  an  added  profit  on  such 
sales. 

There  are  other  goods  that,  while  not 
articles  of  consumption,  yet  more  than 
one  of  them  can  be  placed  with  most 
families,  if  the  first  sold  gives  satisfac- 
tion. A  good  example  of  this  is  the 
Ostermoor  mattress.  Many  who  try 
this  mattress  equip  all  their  beds  with 
it  sooner  or  later.  And  mattresses  wear 
out  sooner  than  pianos.  A  certain 
amount  of  future  business  can  be  count- 
ed on  when  exploiting  a  meritorious 
article  of  this  kind. 

The  single  article  can  sometimes  be 
profitably  sold  through  agents.  Goods 
of  consumption,  such  as  a  medicine  or 
a  metal  polish,  can  continue  to  be  sold 
through  the  same  agents  in  the  same 
territory.  A  household  specialty,  such 
as  a  carpet  stretcher,  or  an  ironing 
board,  demands  new  territory,  after  one 
section  has  been  carefully  canvassed. 

But  this  is  a  big  country,  and  there 
is  several  years'  good  business  in  a 
really  meritorious  specialty. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


FURTHER   SUGGESTIONS. 

After  you  put  your  advertisement  in 
a  paper  and  it  brings  you  replies,  the 
paper  has  fulfilled  its  mission.  It  is 
then  up  to  you  to  follow  up  these  replies 
with  well  written  circulars,  which  should 
receive  your  personal  or  an  experienced 
man's  attention.  If  you  do  not  feel  cap- 
able of  getting  up  your  own  follow-up 
system,  hire  the  best  man  you  can  get 
to  do  it  for  you.  If  your  follow-up  sys- 
tem is  not  perfect,  your  advertising  will 
be  an  utter  waste  of  money. 

Treat  your  replies  as  you  would  a 
prospective  customer  that  would  come 
into  your  store.  You  would  not  send  a 
slouchy,  slovenly  clerk  to  meet  this  cus- 
tomer and  expect  him  to  make  a  sale 
but  you  would  either  go  forward  your- 
self, meet  the  customer,  or  send  one  of 
your  best  salesmen  to  meet  him.  This 
and  fair  dealing  has  been  the  foundation 
of  every  successful  business;  so  you 
should  be  just  as  careful  in  sending  your 
circulars — they  are  going  to  meet  a  pros- 
pective customer.  The  first  impression 
you  make  upon  this  customer  will  be  a 
lasting  one.  The  more  care  and  atten- 
tion you  pay  in  making  that  impression 
a  good  one  the  more  profitable  it  will 
prove  to  you. 

You  judge  others  by  appearances,  and 
you  are  judged  in  the  same  way.  When 
you  meet  a  man  face  to  face,  you  judge 
him  by  his  face,  his  clothing,  his  con- 
versation and  his  manner.  To  be  sure 
you  may  make  a  wrong  estimate  of  his 
ability — some  men  who  are  rather  loud 


in  dress  and  manner  still  have  great 
business  ability.  But,  in  a  majority  of 
instances  you  can  size  up  a.  man  fairly 
well  by  his  appearance  and  conversation. 
At  any  rate,  that  is  the  way  men  are 
judged.  And  a  business  house  is  judged 
by  the  class  of  men  it  sends  out,  and 
by  the  class  of  employes  that  represent 
the  house  when  one  calls. 

A  neat,  well-kept  office,  store  or  other 
business  place,  when  one  is  conducting 
a  business  that  invites  personal  calls 
from  a  customer,  is  one  of  the  best 
kinds  of  an  advertisement.  People  like 
to  trade  with  a  house  that  is  prosperous. 
An  appearance  of  prosperity  will  be  a 
great  aid  toward  producing  real  pros- 
perity. 

When  a  firm  is  conducting  a  mail  or- 
der business,  it  is  possible  to  economize 
in  the  matter  of  plate  glass,  fine  store 
fixtures,  etc.  People,  in  such  instances, 
judge  by  the  appearance  of  the  firm's 
advertising  matter,  the  stationery  used, 
and  the  kind  of  letters  sent  out. 

It  may  just  as  well  be  admitted,  that 
different  kinds  of  advertising  matter  and 
different  kinds  of  stationery  will  affect 
different  classes  of  people  in  different 
ways.  A  firm  that  is  appealing  to  busi- 
ness men  must  take  a  different  tone, 
than  one  that  is  going  out  after  the  trade 
of  the  country  consumer.  The  s.hort  to- 
the-point  letter  which  would  be  just  the 
thing  for  the  business  man,  would  be 
altogether  too  curt  for  the  average  mail 
order  customer.  It  would  make  an  un- 
favorable impression. 


BIG  FISHING  OUTFIT  CHEAP 


This  1s  one  of  the  best  fishing  outfits  ever  offered.    It  consists  of  *9  different  pieces,  everything  jtwt 


. 

as  represented  and  every  piece  there—  2J  in  all.  The  Reel  la  tor  fastening  on  a  pole.  >o  be  used  to  catch  all 
kinds  or  gamey  flan.  The  Trout  Files  have  long  gut  leaders  to  prevent  the  flsh  biting  off  the  hook.  Th» 
HOP  with  a  float  is  especially  pot  np  for  the  use  of  women  and  children.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
complete  fishing  outfits  ever  offered.  Its  29  pieces  Include  tackle  for  every  kind  of  fish  now  caught.  An 
outfit  like  tbis  will  irist  the  family  for  years  and  at  the  stores  would  likely  cost  at  least  92.95.  AS 
long  as  oureupply  lastswewill  sell  these  great  29-Piece  Fi«hing  Outfits  for  only  99  cents.  Money  promptly 
refunded  If  we  sell  out  before  your  order  is  received  Shipped,  nil  cbarces  paid,  for  99  cents.  No  higher; 
•o  less.  .Satisfaction  guaranteed.  BICHARDSON  4fc  CO..  814  Wilson  Building,  Chicago. 

Although  as  a  rule  mail  order  advertising  in  the  summer  is  not  as  good  as  at  other  seasons  of  the 
year,  the  above  concern  sells  thousands  of  fishing  outfits  every  season  to  ambitious  anglers. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


33 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Mail  Order  Medicine  Advertising. 


A  great  deal  of  money  has  been  made 
in  advertising  by  mail  medicines  for 
the  cure  of  various  chronic  diseases. 
There  seems  to  be  a  fascination  about 
consulting  a  "specialist"  or  an  "expert" 
by  mail  that  most  country  people  cannot 
resist.  They  are  strongly  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  the  treatment  they  get 
is  somewhat  different  from  what  they 
could  obtain  from  their  legal  doctor. 
Undoubtedly  this  is  a  fact,  as  people  do 
not  send  away  from  home  for  medicine 
except  for  the  cure  of  some  chronic 
ailment. 

Success  in  mail  order  medical  adver- 
tising lies  in  the  fact  that  the  advertise- 
ments are  constructed  so  as  to  attract 
inquiries  from  those  who  are  suffering 
from  the  disease  that  the  advertiser  be- 
lieves he  can  cure.  There  are  few  medi- 
cines that  are  sold  direct  from  the  ad- 
vertisement, as  it  requires  considerable 
talking  in  order  to  persuade  a  person  to 
give  the  medicine  a  trial.  Most  of  the 
medical  advertisers  now  offer  a  free 
sample  of  the  medicine  or  free  advice  in 
addition  to  their  free  booklet  or  other 
literature.  This  opens  up  correspond- 
ence with  the  patient  and  once  a  person 
has  written  to  a  medical  firm,  it  never 
lets  up  on  them.  Undoubtedly  it  is  the 
persistency  with  which  the  inquiries  are 
followed  up  that  finally  convinces  the 
reader  that  the  advertiser  has  an  un- 
usual article  and  is  induced  to  send 
for  it. 

MAIL    ORDER    MEDICINES. 

What  kind  of  medicines  will  sell  by 
mail  is  another  important  question.  The 
only  medicines  that  can  be  successfully 
advertised  for  the  mail  order  trade  are 
those  that  cure  diseases  which  the  or- 
dinary doctor  is  unable  to  cure,  such 
as  kidney  diseases,  piles,  liver  complaint, 
etc.  If  you  have  got  a  cure  for  the 
headache  or  toothache  and  think  of 
building  up  a  mail  order  medicine  busi- 
ness with  it,  don't  try  it.  People  buy 
articles  of  that  kind  only  when  they 


need  them,  and  they  haven't  time  to  or- 
der by  mail,  but  will  get  them  at  the 
nearest  drug  store.  Successful  medi- 
cines that  have  been  advertised  by  mail 
have  been  formulas  that  have  been  tried 
and  found  all  right.  If  you  have  in 
your  family  a  tried  and  true  preparation 
for  the  cure  of  consumption,  rheuma- 
tism or  kidney  diseases  and  wish  to 
market  it  by  the  mail  order  method, 
the  first  essential  is  to  have  it  put  up 
by  some  first-class  manufacturing  chem- 
ist. It  is  not  advisable  to  attempt  to 
put  up  your  own  medicine  unless  you 
thoroughly  understand  it.  If  you  live  in 
a  small  town  where  there  is  no  manu- 
facturing chemist,  you  could  probably 
have  your  medicine  put  up  for  you  by 
the  local  druggist. 

If  you  haven't  a  formula  for  a  good 
medicine,  there  are  manufacturing 
chemists  who  will  put  up  medicines  for 
any  chronic  complaint  after  standard 
formulae,  and  these  medicines  are 
doubtless  as  good  in  every  way  as  those 
are  likely  to  be  which  are  made  after 
an  old  woman's  recipe. 

HOW  TO  ADVERTISE. 

How  a  medicine  is  advertised  is  the 
main  thing.  The  medicine  may  contain 
the  same  ingredients  as  do  the  medi- 
cines used  by  many  physicians,  but  if  the 
advertising  matter  is  properly  construct- 
ed, the  patient  will  be  persuaded  that 
the  advertised  medicine  is  something 
better — something  out  of  the  ordinary. 
Of  course,  something  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary is  better  to  handle  if  you  can  find  it. 
If  you  come  across  a  medicine  which  is 
marvelously  effective  in  the  cure  of  any 
chronic  complaint,  that  is  the  medicine 
for  you  to  advertise.  But  a  large  ma- 
pority  of  those -who  wish  to  go  in  the 
mail  order  medicine  business  are  not 
lucky  enough  to  find  anything  of  this 
kind,  and  a  good  medicine  put  up  "by  a 
competent  chemist  after  a  standard  for- 
mula 'is  likely  to  prove  more  satisfac- 
tory and  is  less  likely  to  do  harm,  than 
some  ignorant  quack's  concoction,  though 


34 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


it  is  possible  that  the  latter  may  hit 
on  an  article  of  merit.  The  thing  to  do 
is  to  advertise  the  medicine  as  some- 
thing different  from  other  medicines  de- 
signed for  the  same  disease. 

A  plausible  explanation  should  be 
given  as  to  how  it  differs,  and  as  to 
why  it  acts  more  effectively. 

Show  how  it  cures  because  it  con- 
tains the  right  drugs  in  the  right  pro- 
portion to  act  upon  every  symptom  of 
the  disease. 

SOMETHING  NEW. 

If  your  medicine  is  just  like  dozens  of 
other  remedies,  what  reason  will  the 
public  have  for  purchasing  it,  rather  than 
the  remedies  of  established  reputation? 

Anything  new  will  do — a  new  selling 
plan,  a  new  method  of  application,  a  new 
discovery  in  medical  science,  a  new 
method  of  putting  up — or  even  a  new 
advertising  argument  will  sometimes 
make  the  thing  go. 

You  must  have  some  leverage  for  the 
advertising  man  to  use,  in  his  effort  to 
interest  and  convince  the  public.  To  be 
sure,  the  clever  writer  of  advertising 
copy  can  find  wonderfully  convincing 
arguments,  with  very  little  to  go  on. 
But  the  more  facts  that  you  can  give 
him  to  help  out  his  story  the  better  it 
is  likely  to  be. 

Consider  some  of  the  great  medical 
advertising  successes  of  recent  years. 
There  is  Vitae  Ore,  much  in  the  public 
eye  at  present.  This  medicine  enjoyed 
a  fair  measure  of  success  for  many 
years,  being  sold  through  local  agents, 
who  distributed  circulars  and  booklets, 
which  sang  the  praise  of  the  remedy  in 
a  very  sensational  manner.  The  word- 
ing was  often  ungrammatical,  too,  yet 
the  medicine  sold.  The  new  idea  about 
Vitae  Ore  was  the  claim  that  it  was 
mined  from  the  earth  and  contained  the 
essential  elements  of  a  mineral  spring. 
Lately  the  medicine  has  had  the  added 
advantage  of  a  new  selling  method.  A 
dollar  package  was  sent  on  trial  to  any- 
one who  would  request  it.  If  the  rem- 
edy failed  to  cure  or  benefit,  no  pay 
was  required. 

Dr.  Shoop  also  has  offered  to  allow 
patients  to  take  the  medicines  thirty  days 
without  paying  for  them.  His  new  idea 
was  the  "inside  nerves,"  which  other 
physicians  didn't  know  about,  didn't  doc- 
tor, and  so,  of  course,  didn't  cure. 

In  the  case  of  "Five  Drops,"  the  name 
and  dose  were  so  different  from  the  ave- 


rage, that  they  were  sufficient  to  attract 
attention. 

And  there  is  Cascarets — "the  candy 
cathartic"  has  a  splendid  sound.  To  eat 
a  piece  of  candy  is  surely  easier  and 
pleasanter  than  swallowing  a  pill.  The 
price  was  low — people  tried  them,  and 
continued  their  use. 

Orangeine  was  not  only  put  up  in  new 
form,  but  it  occupied  a  place  of  its  own 
among  medicines.  It  was  advertised  as 
a  good  headache  remedy,  a  good  grip 
or  cold  remedy,  and  as  a  general  all 
'round  bracer  for  fag  or  fatigue.  And 
then,  it  had  an  attractive  name. 

The  foot  drafts  for  rheumatism,  which 
have  been  extensively  advertised  on  a 
pay-only-if-cured  plan,  have  proven  suc- 
cessful sellers.  A  vacuum  cap  for  the 
cure  of  baldness,  put  out  by  a  St.  Louis 
firm,  has  also  met  with  great  success  be- 
cause it  was  a  novelty.  A  preparation 
under  the  name  Vitae-Ure,  and  claiming 
to  be  the  concentrated  essence  of  several 
mineral  springs,  found  in  a  natural  min- 
eral substance  dug  out  of  the  ground, 
has  been  a  big  seller  for  the  same  rea- 
son— because  it  was  "different" — a  nov- 
elty— something  new  and  out  of  the 
beaten  path. 

The  scheme  is  the  thing  in  mail  order 
medical  advertising  and  the  medicine  it- 
self is  a  part  of  the  scheme.  If  it  can 
be  something  new  and  appealing  to  that 
inherent  instinct  of  mankind  for  some 
new  method  of  finding  the  road  to  health 
it  has  a  much  greater  potential  chance  of 
success  than  if  it  is  merely  "medi- 
cine" put  up  in  a  box  or  bottle  j-ust  like 
all  the  other  cures  for  the  same  ailment. 

PROPRIETARY  MEDICINES. 

A  proprietary  medicine  should  be  a 
vegetable  remedy  and  advertised  as  such. 
All  the  medicine  advertising  has  harped 
on  this  point  so  much  that  buyers  of 
medicine  look  with  suspicion  on  a  med- 
icine that  is  not  so  advertised.  If  a 
mineral  medicine  were  advertised,  it 
would  take  some  very  strong  arguments 
indeed  to  make  it  go.  It  would  be  up  to 
the  advertiser  to  prove  that  the  mineral 
was  quite  harmless,  and  in  point  of  fact 
far  more  beneficial  than  any  vegetable 
could  be.  To  advertise  a  mineral  rem- 
edy, it  would  be  necessary  to  combat 
prejudice. 

Indian  remedies  have  a  considerable 
vogue,  because  the  advertiser  can  point 
to  the  superb  health  and  freedom  from 
disease  of  the  savages  and  ascribe  to  the 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


35 


medicines  advertised  the  reason  for  this 
state  of  health  and  physical  vigor. 

It  would  seem  that  some  advertiser 
might  use  tne  same  argument  for  a  rem- 
edy supposed  to  be  discovered  by  the 
gypsies  and  used  by  them  for  centuries 
before  the  receipt  came  into  the  hands 
of  the  advertiser. 

A  woman's  remedy  will  perhaps  sell 
faster  if  it  is  said  to  have  been  discov- 
ered by  a  woman  and  bears  a  woman's 
name.  In  putting  forward  a  remedy  the 
discovery  of  which  is  ascribed  to  anyone 
else  than  a  physician,  it  is  advisable 
to  tell  how  the  discoverer  cured  himself 
or  herself  of  the  disease — it  may  be  well 
to  do  so,  even  where  the  discoverer  is 
alleged  to  be  a  doctor. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

Testimonials  are  of  greatest  value  to 
the  medical  advertiser.  It  is  easy  to  get 
testimonials,  after  a  large  amount  of  the 
medicine  has  been  put  out — a  certain 
proportion  of  those  who  receive  it  are 
bound  to  be  benefited — nature  will  cure 
part  of  them,  even  if  no  real  benefit  re- 
sults from  the  medicine,  and  those  who 
are  cured  of  a  lingering  complaint  will 
usually  thank  the  one  whom  they  look 
upon  as  a  benefactor. 

To  get  testimonials  to  use  at  the  very 
beginning  of  the  advertising  campaign 
is  what  bothers  most  medical  advertis- 
ers. Testimonials  might  be  worked  up 
in  the  advertiser's  home  neighborhood 
by  giving  out  trial  treatments  of  the 
medicine  free  of  charge.  Those  who 
were  cured  or  helped  would  be  glad  to 
sign  a  testimonial,  and  would  in  most 
cases  be  willing  that  the  advertiser 
should  word  it  to  suit  his  own  ideas. 

Then,  it  might  be  found  easy  to  get 
testimonials  by  offering  a  series  of 
prizes  at  the  beginning  of  a  campaign  to 
those  who  reported  the  most  marvelous 
cures.  Of  course,  this  prize  offer  should 
be  put  forth  in  the  right  manner.  Some- 
thing of  this  kind  would  bring  responses, 
and  convince  the  reader  of  the  firm's 
honest  intentions.  Knowing  of  the  un- 
equaled  merits  of  this  marvelous  rem- 
edy, and  bearing  in  mind  the  cures  that 
have  been  accomplished  under  our  own 
eyes,  and  reported  to  us  by  those  using 
our  remedy  all  over  the  country,  we  feel 
assured  that  there  are  still  others  who 
are  experiencing  equally  good  results 
from  the  use  of  our  preparation.  We 
want  to  receive  a  report  of  such  cures — 
we  do  not  ask  something  for  nothing ; 


but  in  order  to  get  all  who  are  bene- 
fited to  report  their  case  we  offer  the 
following  prizes  to  such  as  send  the  best 
testimonials,  as  adjudged  by  our  com- 
mittee. These  prizes  will  be  awarded  to 
those  who  report  the  worst  cases  that 
have  been  radically  cured,  taking  into 
account  the  fullness  of  the  report,  etc. 
Literary  ability  to  write  up  the  case  will 
not  count — but  the  case  should  be  fully 
described,  failure  of  other  remedies,  etc. 
Then  the  results  of  our  medicine,  amount 
taken  and  present  condition  of  the 
patient. 

This  is  only  a  hint,  of  course — it  would 
be  well  to  require  certain  conditions, 
such  as  medicine  to  be  taken  in  the  com- 
petitor's family,  accompanied  by  a  label 
from  a  wrapper  around  the  medicine, 
etc.,  etc. 

But  the  testimonials  are  necessary  to 
the  medical  advertiser  who  would  attain 
the  fullest  measure  of  success,  and  they 
must  be  obtained  in  some  way;  if  not  in 
this  way,  then  in  some  other.  Then  they 
should  be  testimonials  which  will  hold 
water.  To  make  a  testimonial  convinc- 
ing, an~  address  must  be  given,  except  in 
case  of  certain  private  diseases,  for 
which  secrecy  is  only  natural ;  some  who 
read  testimonials  write  to  the  person 
who  describes  a  case  like  their  own. 

Testimonials  are  the  clinchers.  The 
advertiser  tells  the  public  about  the  rem- 
edy— what  it  is  made  of  and  why  it 
should  benefit — and  then  comes  the  tes- 
timonial and  gives  the  practical  evidence. 
The  patient  says:  IT  HAS  CURED 
ME.  That  convinces. 

THE  PRICE. 

It  will  not  pay  to  sell  a  medicine  by 
mail,  exclusively,  at  a  low  price,  say 
twenty-five  or  fifty  cents.  Advertisers 
who  place  their  medicines  through  deal- 
ers and  sell  by  mail  to  those  who  can- 
not obtain  the  medicine  of  their  dealer, 
are  on  a  different  basis.  It  takes  as 
much  literature  and  postage  to  work  up 
a  sale  at  a  low  price  as  at  a  higher  price. 
The  medicine  should  sell  for  at  least  one 
dollar  per  package  or  bottle,  and  a  com- 
plete guaranteed  treatment  be  given  for 
three  or  five  dollars — this  may  consist  of 
four  or  six  bottles  or  packages,  as  the 
case  may  be.  It  is  well  to  offer  to  pay 
transportation  charges,  and  it  is  there- 
fore advisable  to  put  up  the  medicine  in 
dry  form,  tablets,  capsules,  pills  or  pow- 
ders, rather  than  in  liquid  form.  Charges 
will  be  much  less. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


The  advertiser  must  allow  a  large 
margin  for  selling  expenses,  if  he  would 
make  a  profit ;  he  should  not  allow  his 
dollar  packages. of  medicine  to  cost  him, 
as  sent  out,  more  than  twenty-five  or 
thirty  cents.  It  costs  as  much,  or  more, 
to  market  a  medicine  by  the  mail  order 
plan  as  through  dealers,  though  mail 
order  medicine  men,  in  their  advertising, 
may  well  harp  on  the  advantages  of  buy- 
ing medicines  by  mail  rather  than 
through  dealers,  and  bring  forward  the 
plea  that  the  purchaser  is  paying  for 
nothing  but  medicine  and  one  small 
profit  to  the  manufacturer. 

THE  GUARANTEE. 

A  guarantee  which  promises  to  re- 
fund the  money  if  the  patient  is  not 
cured  or  materially  benefited  is  of  the 
greatest  value  in  assisting  sales.  The  fact 
that  this  guarantee  is  sent  out  with  every 
package  of  the  medicine  may  be  well 
written  up  in  the  booklet,  and  also  given 
much  attention  in  the  following  litera- 
ture. It  can  be  shown  how  the  adver- 
tiser is  taking  all  the  risk  of  a  fair  trial 
of  the  medicine,  that  if  he  cannot  cure 
the  case,  he  does  not  care  for  the  money 
— that  there  are  but  few  cases  that  can- 
not be  cured,  and  they  are  so  complicat- 
ed and  have  been  allowed  to  run  so  long 
that  they  are  incurable  by  any  earthly 
means.  That  in  these  exceptional  cases 
the  advertiser  will  be  glad  to  return 
money,  as  it  will  hurt  the  reputation  of 
his  medicine  to  keep  it.  That  nearly 
every  treatment  sent  out  accomplishes  a 
cure,  otherwise  it  would  be  impossible 
to  make  such  an  offer. 

It  may  be  objected  by  some  that  such 
an  offer  is  likely  to  make  considerable 
trouble  for  the  advertiser;  that  he  is 
likely  to  have  many  demands  for  a  re- 
turn of  the  money.  Of  course,  it  should 
be  the  advertiser's  purpose  to  cure  as 
many  as  possible,  and  to  that  end  it  is 
well  to  have  a  first-class  medicine,  and 
to  inclose  with  it  hygienic  rules  which 
will  help  along  the  cure.  It  is  Nature 
which  cures  usually,  anyway.  Give 
Nature  a  chance,  and  a  little  help  in  the 
way  of  medical  assistance  and  wonders 
will  be  accomplished.  Most  people  who 
order  mail  order  treatment  live  in  the 
country,  where  it  is  possible  to  lead  a 
healthful  life;  hygienic  rules  in  connec- 
tion with  a  medicine  will  be  followed  by 
those  who  would  scorn  them  as  a  means 
of  getting  well  without  medical  aid. 


In  spite  of  all  this,  there  are  likely  to 
be  many  who  are  not  cured  by  the  medi- 
cine, and  a  certain  proportion  of  these 
are  likely  to  demand  a  return  of  the 
money.  Some  dealers  make  no  guarantee 
except  what  is  said  in  the  booklet  and 
letters.  But  if  the  case  were  carried  to 
the  courts  and  the  firm  were  good  for 
the  amount,  that  guarantee  would  hold 
as  well  as  any.  Other  medicine  men 
pack  a  guarantee  with  the  treatment, 
but  this  guarantee  usually  has  a  "string" 
to  it,  so  that  they  can  crawl  out  in  most 
cases.  In  order  to  obtain  the  money 
the  purchaser  is  expected  to  unwind  a 
good  deal  of  red  tape.  He  is  required 
to1  make  affidavits,  to  have  witnesses 
make  affidavits  as  to  the  fact  that  he  is 
still  ill,  although  he  took  the  medicine, 
persistently  and  regularly,  and  faith- 
fully followed  directions  in  every  re- 
spect. Few  will  follow  the  matter  up 
to  this  extent,  and  those  whose  claims 
are  not  satisfactory  can  be  turned 
down.  None  of  them  is  going  to  carry 
a  case  into  the  courts  for  a  matter  of 
three  or  five  dollars,  so  the  dealer  need 
repay  the  money  only  in  the  case  of  a 
few  seemingly  worthy  claims  that  he 
feels  disposed  to  grant. 

If  the  medicine  is  indeed  a  good  med- 
icine, and  accomplishes  cures,  the  man- 
ufacturer will  make  more  money  than 
he  will  be  able  to  do  otherwise,  be- 
cause he  will  be  able  to  sell  many  treat- 
ments to  the  friends  and  acquaintances 
of  those  benefited  by  the  medicine  and 
these  sales  will  be  made  without  the 
outlay  for  advertising  expenses,  which 
is  necessary  when  working  up  a  sale  in 
the  usual  way.  The  profit  on  all  such 
sales  therefore  will  be  large. 

TWO    METHODS    OF    ADVERTIS- 
ING PATENT  MEDICINES. 

To  the  man  who  has  never  adver- 
tised' one,  all  patent  medicines  look 
alike — and  so  do  all  patent  medicine 
ads.  But  the  expert  promoters  of  ad- 
vertised remedies  divide  them  into  two 
great  groups.  Each  is  exploited  in  an 
entirely  different  way,  and  each  appeals 
to  a  trait  in  human  nature  that  is  as  far 
from  the  other  as  the  terrestrial  poles. 

The  largest  group  consists  of  the 
"staple"  medicines — the  mild-mannered 
little  liver  pill,  the  delicious  laxative 
tablet,  the  warm  aromatic  liniment  for 
aching  bones, "  the  cough  mixture,  the 
general  tonic  and  all  the  pharmaceutical 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


37 


preparations  that  are  in  demand  season 
after  season,  year  after  year,  eternally. 

A  "staple"  remedy  needs  an  unfprget- 
able  name  and  plenty  of  advertising  at 
the  beginning  of  its  career.  In  the 
case  of  such  a  preparation  as  Omega 
Oil  a  half  million  dollars  may  be  paid 
out  for  newspaper  space  and  painted 
bulletins  in  two  or  three  years,  while 
not  one-tenth  that  sum  comes  back  in 
immediate  sales.  The  advertising  bills 
of  Omega  ran  as  high  as  $50,000 
monthly  during  the  early  years  of  its 
career,  while  its  sales  were  sometimes 
less  than  $25,000  per  month.  But  the 
name  was  fixed  on  the  public  memory, 
the  remedy  sold,  and  sold  again,  until 
the  foundation  of  a  trade  that  may  last 
a  quarter  of  a  century  was  laid. 

After  the  introductory  work  of  a 
staple  remedy  has  been  completed,  its 
advertising  may  be  reduced  to  a  very 
moderate  annual  expenditure.  The 
popular  staple  keeps  doing  business  at 
the  same  old  stand  on  its  reputation, 
and  is  handed  down  as  an  heirloom  in 
families.  A  very  good  example  of  such 
a  remedy  is  Perry  Davis'  Pain  Killer, 
seldom  seen  among  the  advertisements 
in  city  dailies,  yet  on  sale  at  every  city 
drug  store.  Back  in  the  countrv  dis- 
tricts can  be  found  pills  and  tonics  that 
were  advertised  during  tne  civil  war. 
St.  Jacobs'  Oil  has  not  been  exploited 
to  any  extent  in  fifteen  years,  and  even 
patent  medicine  men  sometimes  refer 
to  it  as  a  thing  of  the  past.  Yet  the 
company  that  still  makes  it  clears  about 
$50,000  a  year,  it  is  said. 

That's  the  staple. 

The  second  group  of  medicines  is  of 
an  entirely  different  character.  Patent 
medicine  men  call  them  the  "agony 
remedies."  A  staple  medicine  is  ex- 
ploited by  quiet  advertising — jingles, 
three-line  readers,  trademarks,  pretty 
posters.  Whatever  the  advertising  ar- 
gument, it  is  printed  over  and  over 
and  over.  There  is  no  element  of  ex- 
citement in  a  staple  remedy.  People 
buy  it  to  cure  a  cold  or  create  an  appe- 
tite. You  might  as  well  try  to  thrill 
them  over  the  virtues  of  granulated 
sugar.  But  the  "agony"  remedy's  ad- 
vertising is  excitement  from  the  very 
start.  It  rescues  victims  of  disease  from 
the  jaws  of  death,  cures  cases  that  all 
the  doctors  have  given  up,  makes  hair 
grow  in  a  night  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  The  more  fuss  kicked  up  about 


it  the  better  it  sells.  Big  space  must 
be  used,  with  testimonials  from  con- 
gressman and  crowned  heads.  There 
must  be  illustrations  so  vivid  that  es- 
thetic souls  complain  about  them,  and 
their  indignant  letters  are  printed  in 
the  papers  that  didn't  get  any  of  the 
advertising.  Three  cardinal  principles 
of  the  agony  remedy  must  be  kept  in 
sight : 

First — The    wonderfulness    of    it. 

Second — Heart  interests. 

Third — Miraculous  cures. 

The  wonderfulness  of  an  agony  rem- 
edy is  easy.  Every  patent  medicine  is 
really  wonderful  if  you  look  at  it  in 
the  right  light — even  the  staple.  You 
might  say,  for  example,  that  a  certain 
nerve  builder  is  made  from  a  marvelous 
root  dug  by  the  natives  in  Chinese  Tar- 
tary;  that  scientists  have  never  been 
able  to  determine  the  exact  species  of 
this  priceless  plant,  and  its  properties 
are  beyond  the  analysis  of  the  most 
skillful  chemists ;  that  its  whole  history 
is  shrouded  in  mystery,  yet  it  has  been 
known  for  ages,  and  since  its  introduc- 
tion into  Europe  by  Arabian  physicians 
has  been  a  means  of  curing  all  the  ills 
that  flesh  is  heir  to ;  mystic  and  subtle 
in  its  properties,  it  is  still  absolutely 
harmless  even  to  the  tenderest  infant. 

These  absorbing  details  are  simply 
what  is  known  about  that  good  old 
standby  of  the  pharmacopoeia,  tinctura 
rhei,  or  rhubarb.  To  find  others  equally 
mysterious  and  valuable  you  need  go 
no  further  than  the  encyclopedia.  All 
the  standard  drugs  have  life  stories  as 
interesting  as  that  of  radium,  and  in  the 
hands  of  an  able  wordmonger  they  be- 
come as  marvelous  as  the  seven  won- 
ders of  the  world. 

Heart  interest  in  the  advertising  of 
an  agony  remedy  is  secured  by  playing 
on  the  imagination  and  sympathies  of 
readers.  When  the  advertising  is  prop- 
erly done  it  ought  to  cure  as  many  peo- 
ple as  the  remedy  itself.  Before  the 
agony  remedy  can  cure  people,  however, 
its  promoter  must  persuade  them  that 
they  are  sick.  It's  amazing  how  many 
good  people  there  are  in  this  world 
who  never  suspect  that  they  have  the 
germs  of  a  deadly  disease  in  their  sys- 
tems. Their  bones  may  ache  at  night, 
but  they,  make  the  terrible  mistake  of 
thinking  that  they  are  just  tired.  Per- 
haps they  do  not  feel  like  springing  out 
of  bed  in  the  morning  when  the  alarm 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


clock  rings,  but  they  reproach  them- 
selves with  laziness.  When  they  sit  in 
a  draught  they  catch  cold — and  lay  it 
to  the  draught.  If  they  run  up  four 
flights  of  stairs  their  hearts  palpitate, 
but  they  never  suspect  heart  disease. 
Their  appetite  fails  sometimes,  or  if  it 
doesn't  they  have  an  appetite  that  is 
too  good.  All  these  symptoms  they  re- 
gard as  normal,  poor  souls,  and  the 
only  way  to  rouse  them  from  their  illu- 
sion is  to  print  a  line  etching  of  a  ceme- 
tery, flanked  by  the  Angel  Death  and  his 
little  sickle.  This  catches  their  heed- 
less eye.  Then  you  begin  your  diag- 
nosis. 

The  diagnosis  is  a  series  of  questions. 
Do  your  ears  ring?  Is  your  tongue 
coated?  Are  you  easily  discouraged — 
melancholy — tired  of  life?  These  symp- 
tims  may  mean  nothing,  gentle  reader, 
but  it  is  well  to  be  on  your  guard,  for 
many  of  them  indicate  the  approach  of 
the  wooden  overcoat. 

The  diagnosis  runs  on  in  this  vein, 
and  when  you  have  really  persuaded 
the  reader  tliat  he  has  symptoms,  it  is 
time  to  trace  the  course  of  the  disease 
that  has  now  fully  developed.  He  no- 
tices that  he  is  wasting  away,  and  fall- 
ing behind  in  the  struggle  for  exist- 
ence. Then  his  friends  notice  it.  He 
grows  thin,  pale,  feeble.  The  old  fam- 
ily physician  is  called.  Medicine.  Suf- 
ferer grows  worse.  Another  physician. 
More  medicine.  No  good.  The  patient's 
wife  weeps  over  their  little  ones,  and 
the  advertising  man  draws  a  picture  of 
the  desolate  home  after  he  is  gone.  This 
part  of  the  agony  medicine  ad  is  purely 
emotional.  The  reason  of  the  reader 
must  be  appealed  to  as  little  as  possible, 
but  every  heart  string  that  can  be 
reached  must  be  twanged  for  all  it  is 
worth.  Then  ring  in  the  wonderful 
remedy,  tell  what  it  has  done  for  oth- 
ers, and  wind  up  with  testimonials  and 
a  $5,000  guarantee  to  cure  anything  and 
everything. 

Do  the  agony  remedies  really  cure? 
Well,  perhaps  the  majority  of  their 
patients  are  not  really  sick  until  they 
begin  to  read  the  diagnosis.  As  for 
those  who  are  sick,  the  medicines  must 
cure  a  large  proportion.  •  Testimonials 
are  always  easy  to-  get,  and  the  people 
who  testify  are  always  enthusiastic.  The 
philosophy  of  an  agony  remedy  comes 
down  to  two  things :  If  it  cures,  it  is 
a  modern  miracle,  and  the  patient  tells 


all  his  friends.  If  it  doesn't  cure,  he 
denounces  it  as  a  fake.  But  that  only 
sends  him  to  the  next  agony  remedy, 
for  every  person  that  has  tried  yours 
and  found  it  effectual  will  try  the  next 
fellow's.  Which  is  where  the  sales 
come  in. 

The  excitement  created  by  heavy  ad- 
vertising and  the  right  agony  remedy 
makes  it  highly  profitable.  People  pay 
a  dollar  a  bottle  for  it,  but  want  the 
staple  cough  mixture  for  fifteen  cents, 
with  trading  stamps.  When  the  adver- 
tising of  an  agony  remedy  stops,  how- 
ever, the  sales  stop,  too.  There  are  no 
agony  remedies  left  over  from  former 
generations  on  the  shelves  of  the  coun- 
try store.  A  man  uses  liver  pills  all  his 
life,  but  he  takes  an  agony  remedy  only 
a  short  time  at  most.  It  either  cures 
him  Or  he  quits  because  it  is  a  fraud. 

VALUE  OF  NEW  IDEAS. 

A  new  and  plausible  idea  in  the  medi- 
cine field  is  always  likely  to  take  the 
fancy  of  thousands  of  people  if  it  is 
written  up  in  a  convincing  manner.  For 
instance,  when  Dr.  George  A.  Scott 
brought  out  his  electric  hair  brushes 
many  years  ago,  and  advertised  them  for 
the  cure  of  headache,  etc.,  the  idea  im- 
mediately caught  the  fancy  of  the  public. 
He  followed  it  up  with  an  electric  cor- 
set and  made  a  fortune  with  the  scheme 
before  his  death.  Of  course  that  idea 
is  old  now. 

The  foot  drafts  "for  the  cure  of  rheu- 
matism was  another  original  idea  which 
caught  the  public  to  some  extent.  A 
St.  Louis  advertiser  has  introduced  an 
appliance  to  make  the  hair  grow  by  fit- 
ting a  cap-like  appliance  to  the  head 
and  creating  a  vacuum  in  it,  thus  draw- 
ing the  blood  to  the  scalp. 

Then  there  is  Dr.  Shoop  with  his 
medicines  which  cure  the  "inside 
nerves ;"  this  was  decidedly  a  new  argu- 
ment, and  the  constant  reiteration  of  it 
has  helped  to  enrich  the  doctor.  An- 
other new  argument  was  advanced  by 
the  Peruna  people  when  they  began  to 
contend  that  nearly  all  diseases  were  ca- 
tarrhal  in  origin,  and  therefore  curable 
by  Peruna. 

These  instances  will  give  you  an  ink- 
ling as  to  what  I  mean  by  a  new  idea. 
Some  of  the  articles  are  appliances, 
rather  than  medicines,  but  all  of  them 
are  used  for  curative  purposes.  If  you 
can  conceive  anything  new  upon  which 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


39 


a  convincing  argument  can  be  built,  I 
can  write  it  up  in  a  way  that  will  start 
you  on  the  road  to  fortune. 

An  idea  does  not  need  to  be  altogether 
new  to  win  out — it  may  simply  be  an 
old  idea  turned  around  or  adapted  to  a 
new  purpose. 

For  the  sake  of  illustration,  we  will 
presume  that  you  have  a  rheumatism 
cure  that  you  will  put  on  the  market, 
and  have  constructed  an  advertisement 
offering  free  samples  to  alf  who  will 
write  you  who  are  afflicted  with  this 
disease.  Having  placed  this  advertise- 
ment in  a  number  of  papers,  you  find 
yourself  in  receipt  of  a  large  number  of 
inquiries  asking  for  free  samples. 

YOUR   BOOKLET. 

It  is  customary  to  have  a  booklet  or 
descriptive  circular  describing  the  differ- 
ent phases  of  the  disease.  This  you 
send  out  with  the  sample,  and  you  also 
send  out  a  letter  acknowledging  receipt 
of  their  inquiry  and  giving  a  few  addi- 
tional arguments  why  they  should  use 
this  medicine.  The  writing  of  medical 
booklets,  circulars,  etc.,  is  a  profession 
in  itself.  A  skilled  medical  writer  de- 
scribes the  symptoms  of  a  disease  so 
that  the  patient  cannot  mistake  the  na- 
ture of  his  malady  and  by  the  time  he 
has  read  the  literature  through,  he  is 
convinced  that  he  has  the  symptoms  and 
needs  the  medicine  that  the  advertiser 
has  to  offer. 

It  would  be  useless  to  advertise  a  cure 
for  rheumatism  or  anything  else  unless 
it  was  first-class  and  the  sample  that  you 
sent  would  give  satisfaction,  otherwise 
nobody  would  order  a  full-sized  pack- 
age. If  there  is  a  great  deal  of  money 
to  be  made  in  the  mail  order  medicine 
business,  there  is  also  a  great  deal  of 
competition,  and  it  is  useless  to  attempt 
to  put  a  medicine  on  the  market  without 
the  right  kind  of  literature  to  back  it  up 
— a  good  medicine. 

If  you  intend  to  go  into  the  mail  or- 
der medicine  business,  I  should  be  pleas- 
ed to  have  you  write  me  in  relation  to 
writing  up  your  literature,  as  I  write 
medical  booklets,  advertisements,  circu- 
lars, etc.,  that  will  actually  sell  medicine. 

"FOLLOW-UP"    LETTERS. 

It  is  essential  also  to  follow  up  your 
inquiries,  as  those  who  send  for  a  sample 
and  try  it,  do  not  order  at  once,  but  have 
to  be  urged  into  it  by  persistent  and  sys- 


tematic letter  writing.  Form  letters  on 
which  you  fill  in  their  name  and  address, 
to  give  it  a  personal  appearance,  are 
used  by  advertisers  who  are  in  receipt 
of  a  great  number  of  letters  a  day,  all  of 
which,  of  course,  require  the  same  an- 
swer. In  your  first  letter,  it  is  best  to 
try  and  work  up  a  sale  for  a  half  dozen 
bottles  or  packages.  In  your  second  let- 
ter, it  is  well  to  put  forth  additional 
argument,  as  to  why  the  treatment 
should  be  taken,  and  in  your  third  let- 
ter, it  might  be  well  to  make  a  reduc- 
tion in  price,  as  that  is  always  an  in- 
ducement and  stimulates  a  sale. 

There  is  one  more  precaution  that 
should  be  taken  by  the  medical  advertise- 
er.  If  you  are  not  a  doctor,  do  not  ad- 
vertise that  you  send  them  a  special  pre- 
scription for  their  case,  as  that  is  not  al- 
lowable; simply  advertise  that  you  have 
a  medicine  for  the  cure  of  their  disease. 

The  method  of  getting  up  your  book- 
let may  be  gained  by  the  usual  medical 
booklets  found  on  the  counters  of  most 
any  drug  store.  A  large  number  of  tes- 
timonials are  almost  a  necessity  in  order 
to  make  the  literature  "pull,"  though  fre- 
quently this  feature  can  be  gotten  over 
by  the  advertiser  stating  that  the  names 
of  those  treated  are  kept  confidential. 

Ideas  for  form  letters  may  be  gained 
from  the  following:  Letter  No.  i  is  to 
be  sent  with  your  booklet  and  free  sam- 
ple. Letter  No.  2  is  to  be  sent  several 
weeks  later,  when  they  have  had  oppor- 
tunity to  test  the  medicine  and  determine 
whether  it  has  helped  them  or  not. 

If  the  first  letter  does  not  sell  the  med- 
icine, it  is  often  advisable  to  assume  in 
the  second  that  the  sample  sent  them 
did  the  patient  little  or  nt)  good— indeed 
the  small  amount  of  medicine  sent  out 
as  a  sample  can  have  little  direct  re- 
sults on  most  chronic  complaints.  A 
sample  of  a  stomagh  remedy  which  con- 
tains pepsin  or  some  other  digestive  will, 
of  course,  prove  immediately  beneficial; 
other  medicines  which  contain  powerful 
tonics  or  stimulants  may  have  an  im- 
mediate result— but  these  are  the  excep- 
tions. 

In  the  second  letter  tell  the  patient  that 
if  there  was  no  benefit  perceived,  it  was 
because  his  case  was  so  far  advanced 
that  the  small  sample  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  do  much  good.  That  this,  in- 
stead of  being  a  reason  for  not  taking 
the  medicine,  should  cause  him  to  order 
a  complete  treatment  at  once.  That  the 
tendency  of  the  disease  is  to  become 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


worse,  and  that  every  week  delayed  in 
commencing  treatment  may  mean  a 
month  more  of  sickness. 

Ask  him  if  he  can  afford  to  remain 
ill  for  the  price  of  the  treatment.  Tell 
him  there  is  absolutely  no  risk  incurred 
by  him,  that  you  take  all  the  risk.  If  a 
complete  treatment  fails  to  cure  money 
will  be  refunded. 

In  the  third  letter  epitomize  these  ar- 
guments and  present  them  again  in  a  dif- 
ferent form — make  them  stronger  and 
more  convincing.  Then  tell  the  patient 
that  if  he  does  not  wish  to  order  a  com- 
plete treatment,  to  order  one  bottle  of 
the  medicine;  this  will  cure  many  of  the 
milder  cases  of  the  disease,  and  will 
prove  beneficial  in  any  case,  so  that  if 
one  bottle  is  ordered,  enough  medicine 
for  a  complete  cure  will  surely  be  or- 
dered by  him. 

If  a  price  concession  is  made  in  the 
last  letter,  it  is  well  to  require  a  certain 
number  of  names  and  addresses  of  those 
afflicted  with  the  disease  for  which  the 
medicine  is  designed.  This  will  make 
the  offer  seem  fairer,  and  prevent  those 
receiving  the  offer  from  thinking  you 
will  accept  any  old  price  for  the  medi- 
cine if  they  will  only  wait  long  enough. 

These  names  will  also  prove  valuable 
enough  to  work,  at  least  to  the  extent 
of  sending  them  circulars,  and  offering 
to  send  a  free  sample  on  application. 
Much  of  the  mail  order  medicine  man's 
success,  or  lack  of  success,  will  depend 
upon  the  letters  he  uses.  I  can  write 
the  letters  that  bring  the  business.  My 
past  work  proves  that  fact.  My  clients 
are  getting  results. 

THE  DOCTOR  WHO  ADVERTISES. 

Sidestepping  the  question  of  right  or 
wrong  as  gauged  by  that  intangible  will- 
o'-the-wisp,  "ethics,"  it  may  be  safely 
asserted  that  the  doctor  who  advertises 
and  does  it  rightly,  can  make  a  great 
deal  of  money  and  build  up  a  very  sat- 
isfactory business.  We  are  not  talking 
now  of  the  quacks  who  are  able,  for  a 
short  time,  to  prey  upon  the  credulity 
and  weaknesses  of  the  ignorant.  There 
are  any  number  of  reputable  physicians 
who  specialize  on  some  one  disease,  or 
two  or  three  diseases,  or  who  sell  reli- 
able remedies  for  certain  classes  of  dis- 
eases, and  whose  business,  judged  from 
any  standpoint,  is  honest,  legitimate,  and 
a  real  benefit  to  humanity.  There  are, 
in  rural  communities,  thousands  of  peo- 


STOMACH 


TROUBLE  CURED 

Free  for  any 

Sufferer  to 

Try. 


Immediate 
Results 
When 
Medicine 
Alone  Fails 


If  you  have  any  symptoms  or  form  of  stomach 
trouble  (Heartburn,  Distress  After  Eating, 
Indigestion,  Sour  Stomach,  Dyspepsia, 
Belching,  Heart  Fluttering*,  Biliousness, 
Dizziness,  Constipation,  Catarrh  of  the 
Stomach,  Sick  Headache,  etc.),  yon  can  be 
speedily  and  permanently  cured  at  your  own  home 
by  using  Dr.  Dill's  Stomapad  and  Constipation  Tab- 
lets. The  Stomapad  applied  externally  over  the 
etomach  draws  the  soreness  outward.  The  Stoma- 
lets  regulate  and  heal  the  bowels  inward.  By  this 
Double  Treatment  you  are  relieved  at  once,  where 
medicine  alone  fails,  and  you  can  eat  anything  you 
like.  Send  lOo  to  cover  COST  OF  MAILING  and  we 
will  send  you  a  $1.00  treatment  FREE.  Send  to-day. 
DILL'S  TRINITY  CO.  CHICAGO. 

Suite  Oakland  Music  Hall. 

The  above  advertisement  illustrates  the  value 
of  new  ideas  in  medical  advertising.  There  are 
thousands  of  pills,  tonics,  powders,  etc.,  on  the 
market  to  cure  stomach  troubles,  but  this  is  the 
first  attempt  to  get  away  into  new  fields.  The 
advertiser  is  so  confident  of  the  merits  of  his  ar- 
ticle that  he  sends  it  out  on  free  trial  to  any  one 
who  writes  for  it. 


STOMACH 


Troubles  CRCB 

CURED  rncc 

By  Dr.  Dill's  Stomapad  Treatment. 

Immediate  results,  relief  at 
once  "when  medicines  alone 
fail.  If  you  have  heartburn, 
distress  after  eating:,  indi- 
gestion, sour  stomach,  dys- 
pepsia, nausea,  heart  flutter- 
eringr,  catarrh  of  the  stom- 
ach, dizziness,  sick  head- 
1  ache,  nervousness,  cramps, 
etc.,  you  can  be  permanently  cured  at  your  owu 
home.  Send  lOc.  to  cover  cost  of  mailing:,  and  we 
will  send  you  a  $1.00  treatment,  Free.  Send  to-day. 
DILL'S  TRINITY  CO.,  Oakland  Music  Hall,  Chicago 

Smaller  copy  used  in  papers  to  try  out  before 
the  larger  advertisement  is  run. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


pie  who  do  not  have  convenient  access 
to  high-priced  physicians,  and  to  whom 
the  idea  of  sending  away  to  a  distant 
physician  in  a  large  city  is,  somehow,  at- 
tractive. Furthermore,  statistics  show 
that  the  better  element  of  advertising 
physicians  accomplish  just  as  large  a  per- 
centage of  successful  cures  in  their  mail 
order  practice  as  other  physicians  ac- 
complish in  their  office  practice.  The 
mail  order  plan  enables  a  physician  to 
handle  a  very  much  larger  number  of 
patients  than  he  could  hope  to  handle 
by  personal  visits  or  at  his  office.  The 
fees  he  requires  can  be  verv  much 
smaller,  and  yet  return  him  very  much 
more  than  his  income  would  be  from  reg- 
ular practice. 

This  idea  has  been  carried  to  a  point 
by  some  physicians  where  "medical  in- 
stitutions," and  similar  institutions,  can 
and  do  successfully  treat  almost  every 
kind  of  disease  by  mail.  These  institu- 
tions have  a  staff  of  physicians,  each  of 
whom  is  a  specialist  in  some  disease, 
and  among  whom  any  patient  can  be 
sure  of  receiving  expert  and  successful 
attention. 

There  is  plenty  of  room  for  any  good 
medicinal  remedy  in  this  broad  land  and 
the  physician  who  has  one  should  put 
forth  every  effort  to  make  it  known. 
You  may  effect  a  cure  of  some  patient 
thousands  of  miles  from  you,  and  one 
that  their  local  physician  has  given  up. 
If  this  was  the  case  as  it  frequently  hap- 
pens, you  can  readily  realize  what  it 
means  to  you  to  spread  your  reputation 
for  miles  around  each  locality,  the 
strength  of  which  brings  you  other  pa- 
tients. Do  not  lose  sight  of  this  fact, 
that  a  patient  secured  by  mail  does  not 
require  but  a  few  rnoments  of  your  time 
to  take  care  of,  while  a  local  patient  may 
require  several  hours  and  possibly  a 
long  country  drive.  Doctors  are  too 
often  satisfied  with  a  moderate  local 
practice  and  a  moderate  income  when 
there  are  thousands  of  people  who  need 
their  assistance  and  are  willing  to  pay 
for  it.  Why  not  talk  to  them  through 
the  press  and  tell  them  what  you  can 
do? 

At  this  period  in  the  doctor's  career 
he  wonders  how  it  can  be  done  and 
things  look  black  to  him,  but  the  way 
is  clear  and  simple  to  the  educated 
along  this  line.  When  your  booklet,  cir- 
cular and  letters  are  in  readiness,  con- 
struct an  advertisement  telling  the  truth 
in  plain,  simple  words,  using  a  large 


headline  displaying  the  feature,  and  it  is 
a  good  idea  to  use  an  illustration  of 
some  kind  that  will  also  indicate  what 
disease  you  make  a  specialty  of  curing. 
By  some  careful  thought  on  your  part 
you  will  study  out  the  correct  wording 
of  an  advertisement  to  make  it  appeal 
to  the  public  and  that  they  will  read,  and 
will  gain  their  confidence  enough  to  an- 
swer. This  is  not  so  very  hard,  but  if 
you  do  not  feel  able  to  the  task  I  would 
be  pleased  to  take  it  up  with  you  and 
advise  you  on  all  points  and  write  your 
advertisements,  booklet,  letters,  etc.  If 
you  wish  I  will  also  place  your  adver- 
tisements in  publications  that  have  a 
reputation  for  pulling  qualities  or  busi- 
ness bringers  for  the  advertisers. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  doctors  to  use 
large  space  to  start  with,  but  just  enough 
to  tell  the  story  in  as  few  words  as 
possible,  in  fact  a  one-inch  advertise- 
ment has  started  many  on  the  road  to 
success  and  then  as  business  shows  life, 
increase  the  list  of  papers,  then  com- 
mence over  and  increase  the  space  until 
finally  your  business  has  grown  to  enor- 
mous proportions.  After  you  get  nicely 
started  each  mail,  as  it  comes  in,  will 
always  bring  you  a  cash  return  and  it  is 
very  gratifying  to  receive  money  by 
mail.  Doctors  are  too  apt  to  lose  sight 
of  the  advantage  gained  doing  a  mail 
order  business.  You  nearly  always  re- 
ceive cash  with  each  order  and  thereby 
you  do  not  run  any  risk  or  have  any 
losses  on  credits;  then  again  you  have 
cash  for  your  order  before  you  have  to 
invest  in  the  medicine.  These  advan- 
tages are  large  items  of  profit  that  in 
your  local  practice  you  never  enjoy,  but 
on  the  other  hand  your  lenienc"  is  usu- 
ally abused  as  the  doctor's  bill  is  always 
the  last  one  to  be  paid. 

Do  not  think  for  a  moment  that  be- 
cause you  live  in  a  small  city  or  vil- 
lage that  you  cannot  enter  the  mail  or- 
der medical  advertising  field.  If  such  is 
your  situation  you  have  a  great  advan- 
tage over  the  city  doctor:  your  expenses 
are  not  one-fourth  that  of  the  city  phy- 
sician and  you  can  buy  your  medicines 
just  as  cheap  and  your  adverti  .ing  will 
only  cost  you  the  same.  The  mail  serv- 
ice of  today  is  so  thorough  that  it  reach- 
es the  innermost  sections  of  the  country 
in  very  quick  time,  so  that  you  can 
count  place  and  distance  as  of  small  im- 
portance. 

Every  physician  owes  to  himself  and 
family  the  fruits  of  his  years  of  study 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


and  he  has  no  right  to  bury  some  meri- 
torious preparations  from  the  public 
when  they  are  in  need  of  the  same  and 
deprive  his  family  of  the  proceeds,  when 
this  revenue  will  mean  that  when  your 
life  of  usefulness  is  over,  you  can  say 
that  you  have  made  a  success  and  sur- 
render your  secret  as  an  asset  to  your 
successors. 

A  FEW  WORDS  FURTHER  ABOUT 
MEDICAL  ADVERTISING. 

People  are  still  looking  for  medical 
preparations  that  will  cure  their  real  or 
fancied  ills.  Anyone  who  has  a  remedy 
that  will  really  give  results  should  not 
hesitate  to  advertise  it. 

But  the  advertiser  who  goes  in  the 
medicine  business  without  a  desirable 
preparation  to  back  up  his  advertising 
is  likely  to  do  little  good  to  anyone  ex- 
cept the  publishers,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  they  will  be  benefited  greatly  in  the 
long  run  by  fake  advertising  of  any  kind. 

Those  who  hold  that  anything  will 
sell  in  the  medical  line  are  fond  of  cit- 
ing a  remark  attributed  to  various  med- 
icine advertisers,  that  one  could  bottle 
sea  water,  and  by  the  means  of  good 
advertising  create  an  extensive  demand 
at  a  good  price. 

Yet,  can  anyone  show  a  case  where  a 
really  inferior  medicine  has  enjoyed  a 
large  sale  for  a  long  term  of  years? 
Most  proprietary  medicines  are  really 
meritorious  preparations.  In  many  in- 
stances they  are  composed  of  just  about 
the  same  ingredients  that  a  physician 
would  prescribe  for  like  ailments.  To 
be  sure,  they  are  more  often  of  a  vege- 
table nature  than  are  the  prescriptions 
•of  "regular"  physicians.  But  this  is 
nothing  against  the  remedies.  The  "reg- 
ulars" acknowledge  the  worth  of  vege- 
table remedies  though  they  often  use 
something  else  in  their  practice. 

There  are  doubtless  many  cases  where 
the  patient  thinks  the  medicine  cured 
when  it  was  nature  that  did  the  busi- 
ness. It  is  doubtless  true  that  the  ad- 
vertising literature  also  has  a  suggestive 
effect  on  some  patients  that  is  similar 
to  that  exercised  by  Christian  Scientists 
and  the  various  other  "faith  healers." 
Every  physician  knows  that  the  confi- 
dence felt  in  him  by  the  patient  doubles 
the  powers  of  the  medicines  prescribed. 

For  all  this,  it  is  wise  for  the  medical 
advertiser  to  seek  a  remedy  that  is  pecu- 
liarly effective.  He  should  aim  to  push 
something  that  will  cure  oftener  and 


make  more  wonderful  cures  than  will  the 
medicines  prescribed  by  physicians,  or 
will  competing  preparations.  Then  every 
sale  of  a  treatment  in  any  community 
will  make  more  sales.  Cured  patients 
will  be  his  best  advertisement.  A  manu- 
facturer who  has  a  preparation  of  this 
kind  can  start  on  very  limited  capital, 
with  the  assurance  of  working  up  a  good 
business,  while  one  with  a  worthless  or 
ordinary  remedy  will  find  it  necessary  to 
put  up  a  large  amount  of  money,  with 
little  assurance  of  continued  business. 

In  most  communities  there  are  neigh- 
borhood remedies  that  have  a  favorajjle 
reputation  among  all  who  have  tried 
them.  Often  these  have  been  handed 
down  from  generation  to  generation, 
from  someone's  great-grandmother. 

If  a  whole  community  prefers  such  a 
remedy  to -any  thing  that  doctor  or  drug- 
gist can  supply,  it  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  it  possesses  exceptional  points 
of  merit.  If  one  hundred  out  of  three 
hundred  families  in  a  community  are 
using  it,  why  should  not  that  same  pro- 
portion hold  in  other  communities  if 
the  remedy  is  introduced  to  them? 

If  you  can  find  such  a  remedy,  and  it 
is  of  a  nature  that  will  enable  you  to 
put  it  up  in  a  convenient  form  and  with 
assurance  of  its  keeping  qualities  take 
hold  of  it.  Of  course,  only  a  remedy  that 
will  cure  diseases  of  a  chronic  nature  is 
available  for  a  mail  order  proposition. 
People  haven't  time  to  order  a  medicine 
for  an  acute  complaint;  they  run  to  the 
nearest  doctor  or  druggist. 

Another  thing,  the  advertiser  who 
starts  out  with  a  remedy  that  has  made 
a  reputation,  even  in  a  limited  territory, 
is  ready  equipped  with  a  lot  of  first- 
class  testimonials,  usually  for  the  mere 
asking.  Most  people  are  inclined  to  be 
garrulous  about  their  diseases  and  cures. 

If  you  cannot  find  a  remedy  of  the 
kind  indicated,  get  a  particularly  suc- 
cessful prescription  of  a  successful  phy- 
sician. In  most  communities  there  will 
be  found  a  physician  who  is  phenome- 
nally successful  in  the  cure  of  a  certain 
class  of  diseases.  It  will  usually  be 
found  that  his  success  comes  from  the 
use  of  the  same  prescription  in  every 
case.  Of  course,  doctors  decry  proprie- 
tary remedies  on  the  ground  that  differ- 
ent stages  of  a  disease  call  for  differ- 
ent remedies.  Yet,  many  of  them  are  as 
wedded  to  the  use  of  a  certain  formula 
for  certain  classes  of  diseases,  as  is  the 
patent  medicine  man. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


43 


SUGGESTIONS.    ' 

The  mere  fact  that  a  remedy  has  pro- 
duced results  in  certain  cases,  that  oc- 
curred directly  under  your  own  personal 
observation,  is  not  certain  evidence  that 
the  medicine  will  be  a  desirable  one  for 
you  to  take  up  and  push  as  a  mail  order 
propositon. 

Real  merit  is  a  most  desirable  point 
about  a  medicine,  but  it  is  not  the  only 
point  to  be  considered.  The  medicine 
must  be  one  that  people  will  buy  by 
mail  orders,  and  you  must  be  able  to 
manufacture  it  at  a  price  that  will  allow 
you  a  fair  profit,  after  paying  the  adver- 
tising bills  and  other  selling  expenses. 

In  the  first  place  you  cannot  hope  to 
sell  by  direct  mail  orders  >any  medicines 
except  those  designed  to  cure  chronic 
disorders.  People  will  not  look  far 
enought  ahead  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  medi- 
cines that  they  may  cure  possible  acute 
diseases.  It  may  be  they  will  some  time 
have  toothache,  headache,  earache,  sore 
throat,  etc.,  but  unless  they  have  had 
these  diseases  to  an  almost  chronic  ex- 
tent in  the  past,  you  cannot  persuade 
them  to  buy.  Remedies  for  acute  trou- 
bles can,  however,  often  be  profitably 
placed  through  agents.  Pain  Paint  is  a 
case  in  point. 

People  turn  to  the  mail  order  medi- 
cine advertiser  in  search  for  a  cure  for 
their  chronic  diseases.  The  more  obsti- 
nate and  harder  to  cure  the  disease  may 
be,  the  better  chance  to  sell  the  medi- 
cine, provided,  of  course,  that  the  dis- 
ease is  one  that  afflicts  a  comparatively 
large  number  of  people. 

Most  people  do  not  turn  to  the  mail 
order  medicine  man  until  they  have 
tried  their  local  physician,  and  have 
purchased  some  of  the  well-known  pat- 
ent medicines  of  their  druggist.  They 
come  to  the  mail  order  man  as  a  last 
resort.  They  have  perhaps  concluded 
that  their  cases  are  hopeless,  but  the  lib- 
eral offer  of  the  medical  mail  dealer,  by 
which  they  are  to  receive  medicine  free, 
or  on  trial,  is  the  lure  that  makes  them 
believe  that  at  last  they  have  found 
something  that  will  cure  them,  or  at 
least,  it  will  cost  them  nothing  to  give 
it  a  trial. 

Where  free  samples  are  sent,  it  is,  of 
course,  very  desirable  that  these  samples 
should  produce  results,  or  that  the  pa- 
tient should  think  that  he  sees  benefit. 
The  right  kind  of  advertising  matter 
will  put  the  patient  in  an  optimistic, 


hopeful  state  of  mind.  He  will  be  pre- 
pared to  see  beneficial  results,  even  in 
those  cases  where  no  great  improvement 
can  be  looked  for  in  so  short  a  period 
of  time.  And  hoping  for  benefit,  he  will 
think  he  sees  it.  In  the  same  way,  a 
call  from  a  physician,  in  whom  a  patient 
has  confidence,  will  brighten  him,  arouse 
him  and  make  him  feel  better  in  every 
way.  The  follow-up  matter  should  be 
strong  enough  to  bring  orders  from 
many  who  are  not  certain  that  they  have 
perceived  any  good  results. 

Then  there  is  the  question  of  profit. 
Mail  order  medicine  dealers  make  their 
appeal  to  those  who  must  count  their 
pennies.  They  cannot  afford  to  buy 
what  they  want  regardless  of  price.  To 
gain  any  large  sale  the  remedy  should 
sell  at  a  popular  price.  One  dollar  per 
package  is  a  good  price — three  or  six 
packages  to  comprise  a  treatment  that 
will  effect  a  cure.  Have  the  medicine 
in  dry  form  that  is  readily  mailable,  if 
possible. 

THE  SUCCESS  OF  ORANGEINE, 

One  of  the  most  striking  of  the  re- 
cent successes  in  the  medical  field  has 
been  that  of  Orangeine.  Not  that  there 
has  been  anything  sensational  in  the 
rise  of  this  excellent  preparation  to  pop- 
ular favor ;  neither  has  the  advertising 
been  of  a  sensational  character.  The 
immense  sale  enjoyed  by  Orangeine  is 
all  the  more  striking  on  that  account 

The  way  this  preparation  has  come  to 
the  front  is  an  answer  to  those  who  hold 
that  all  that  is  necessary  in  pushing  a 
remedy  is  lots  of  advertising  of  the  hot 
air  variety.  Advertising  is  essential,  but 
merit  must  exist  in  the  medicine,  if  it 
is  to  retain  any  lasting  popularity.  Some 
medical  advertiser  once  said  that  he 
could  bottle  sea  water,  and  sell  it  by 
means  of  advertising.  He  doubtless 
could,  but  a  meritorious  remedy  would 
pay  better,  because  a  large  proportion  of 
those  who  used  it  would  be  benefited 
and  would  purchase  more — they  would 
tell  their  friends  about  it. 

The  Orangeine  advertising  began  in  a 
small  way,  some  five  or  six  years  ago. 
Mr.  William  Gillette,  the  well-known 
actor  and  playwright,  had  been  under 
the  care  of  a  physician  in  Windsor,  On- 
tario, who  had  prescribed  the  powders 
now  known  as  Orangeine.  They  were 
so  effective  in  restoring  Mr.  Gillette's 
health  that  he  was  enthusiastic  in  the 


44 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


praise  01  the  powders ;  he  always  car- 
ried them  with  him  for  use  in  case  of 
emergencies,  and  finally  brought  them 
to  the  attention  of  his  friend,  Charles  L. 
Bartlett  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Bartlett  tried  them,  and  was  soon 
converted  to  a  belief  in  their  merits. 
But  he  was  not  content  to  use  them  him- 
self and  let  it  go  at  that;  he  believed 
that  a  remedy  that  had  been  found  so 
efficacious  by  himself  and  Mr.  Gillette 
would  strike  other  people  just  as  favor- 
ably. 

So  he  adopted  a  distinctive  name,  put 
the  medicine  on  the  market,  and  began 
advertising  it  in  a  small  way.  No  at- 
tempt was  made  to  cover  the  whole 
country  at  first.  It  was  advertised  in 
Chicago,  its  home  town ;  the  advertising 
sold  some  of  the  remedy  and  its  merits 


sold  more.  The  campaign  was  gradually 
extended  from  the  profits  realized,  until 
it  became  known  the  country  over. 

Orangeine,  while  selling  in  small  pack- 
ages at  a  popular  price,  makes  its  appeal 
to  the  more  intelligent  classes.  Most  of 
the  advertising  appropriation  is  spent  for 
magazine  publicity.  In  the  magazine  ads 
samples  are  often  offered  free,  but  no 
elaborate  follow-up  system  is  used  to 
make  sales.  The  medicine  is  for  sale 
by  most  first-class  druggists,  and  a  large 
proportion  of  those  who  sample  the  pow- 
der purchase  without  further  urging. 
Mr.  Bartlett  also  believes  in  street  car 
advertising,  more  as  a  reminder  than  for 
making  first  sales.  Short  newspaper  ads 
are  used  for  a  like  purpose.  Striking 
window  display  in  the  large  drug  stores 
is  a  feature  of  the  Orangeine  publicity. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


45 


CHAPTER  XI. 
Selling  Medicine  Through  Agents. 


There  is  lots  of  money  in  selling  med- 
icines through  agents  if  one  understands 
the  business.  To  make  a  success  of  it, 
it  is  advisable  to  have  a  line  of  popular 
medicines  which  will  cover  nearly  every 
ill  that  is  likely  to  afflict  the  ordinary 
family.  Some  successes  have  been  made, 
however,  with  a  single  article,  which 
was  advertised  as  being  good  for  most 
chronic  complaints.  If  you  should  wish 
to  bank  on  one  medicine,  it  is  best  to 
use  a  blood  purifier  and  general  stomach 
and  system  tonic.  This  will  enable  you 
to  write  up  the  medicine  as  being  a  sure 
cure  for  such  diseases  as  rheumatism, 
scrofula,  nervous  diseases,  indigestion, 
liver  complaint,  female  disorders,  etc., 
etc.  Some  advertisers  make  claims  that 
their  remedy  will  cure  countless  other 
diseases  such  as  kidney  trouble,  fever 
and  ague,  locomotor  ataxia,  etc.,  etc. 

But  as  a  general  thing  it  is  well  to  sell 
a  line  of  medicines  through  agents.  It 
enables  your  agents  to  compete  on  even 
terms  with  the  druggist  and  country 
grocer  who  handles  patent  medicines.  A 
good  line  to  put  out  is  a  blood  purifier, 
a  kidney  cure,  which  can  also  be  adver- 
tised to  cure  rheumatism,  when  used  in 
connection  with  the  blood  purifier,  an 
"oil"  for  internal  and  external  use,  a 
pill  and  a  salve.  The  pill  is  fcr  liver  and 
stomach  troubles;  the  oil  is  to  be  used 
as  a  liniment  externally,  and  as  a  cure 
for  bowel  complaints,  internally ;  the 
salve  can  be  advertised  as  a  remedy  for 
piles,  sores,  etc. 

It  is  well  to  have  the  blood  purifier 
and  the  kidney  cure  put  up  so  as  to  re- 
tail at  fifty  cents.  Most  of  such  medi- 
cines are  sold  at  one  dollar,  and  even 
though  your  bottles  are  only  half  the 
size  of  the  others,  there  are  many  people 
who  would  prefer  to  spend  fifty  cents  at 
a  time  than  to  hand  out  the  whole  dol- 
lar at  once.  The  way  to  advertise  medi- 
cines placed  through  agents  is  by  the 
means  of  booklets  and  circulars.  When 
you  arrive  at  a  stage  of  the  game  where 
you  feel  you  can  afford  it,  use  a  good 
almanac.  Almanacs  are  read  in  the 


country — the  jokes  are  laughed  at,  the 
cooking  recipes  are  given  a  trial,  the 
almanac,  as  a  whole,  is  considered  valu- 
able, and  carefully  kept  until  the  next 
one  arrives,  and  oftentimes  kept  on  file 
for  years.  If  you  do  not  care  to  compile 
a  large  almanac  at  the  start,  you  may 
include  a  few  pages  of  jokes,  wise  saws, 
etc.,  in  your  booklet.  The  value  of  the 
almanac  class  of  literature  among  buy- 
ers of  medicine  in  the  country  is  not 
open  to  controversy.  Such  a  large  ad- 
vertiser as  the  firm  of  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co. 
put  it  ahead  of  their  newspaper  adver- 
tising for  results,  after  having  curtailed 
the  almanac  appropriation  for  a  few 
years. 

HOW  TO  GET  AGENTS. 

Having  a  good  medicine  and  good  lit- 
erature with  which  to  convince  your 
prospective  customers,  the  next  thing  is 
to  get  a  lot  of  good  agents  to  handle 
the  remedy  or  line  of  remedies.  If 
you  can  but  secure  these,  you  are  on  the 
road  to  make  a  considerable  sum  of 
money. 

Agents  are  rather  shy  of  a  medicine 
proposition,  yet  some  agents  who  take 
hold  of  a  medicine  and  push  it  are  able 
to  make  a  large  income.  Those  who 
show  business  ability  should  be  given 
the  general  agency  and  allowed  to  cover 
considerable  territory. 

To  secure  a  desirable  class  of  agents, 
it  is  well  to  advertise  in  the  weeklies 
and  monthlies  which  circulate  in  the 
small  villages  and  the  rural  districts — 
some  advertisers  can  also  use  the  Sun- 
day dailies  of  large  circulation  profitably. 
Whether  to  use  an  ad  telling  what  the 
article  is  that  you  want  the  agent  to  sell 
or  to  use  a  blind  ad  which  only  sets 
forth  the  fact  that  you  are  offering  an 
exceptional  opportunity  to  make  good 
money,  is  a  moot  point  among  medical 
advertisers.  A  blind  ad  will  doubtless 
draw  more  replies  but  a  large  proportion 
of  those  who  reply  will  be  prejudiced 
against  handling  a  medicine. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


The  advertiser  who  uses  a  blind  ad  re- 
lies upon  making  his  literature  so  con- 
vincing that  a  fair  proportion  of  those 
who  write  will  be  willing  to  try  the  busi- 
ness. The  advertiser  who  frankly  adver- 
tises that  he  wishes  a  medicine  sold  will 
get  fewer  replies,  but  he  can  rely  upon 
the  fact  that  most  of  those  who  answer 
will  take  up  the  sale  of  the  goods  if  he 
can  convince  them  that  the  medicine  of- 
fers a  better  chance  for  money  making 
than  other  similar  goods  on  the  market. 
To  do  this,  in  the  first  place  you  must 
persuade  the  agent  that  the  medicine  is 
a  good  one,  and  that  where  a  person  pur- 
chases once  the  remedy  will  be  perma- 
nently adopted  by  him  as  a  family  medi- 
cine. Thus  you  can  argue  that  when 
he  has  once  succeeded  in  working  up  a 
sale  for  your  goods  he  will  have  a  per- 
manent business,  which  will  continue  for 
the  term  of  his  life,  or  so  long  as  he 
wishes  to  sell  for  you. 

Show  him  how  much  better  this  is 
than  handling  other  kinds  of  goods,  and 
point  out  the  advantages  your  line  of 
medicines  has  over  other  medicines  that' 
are  sold  through  agents.  And  then  as 
to  terms — if  you  can  offer  slightly  bet- 
ter inducements  than  other  firms  are 
offering,  it  would  be  well  for  you  to  do 
so.  Medicines  are  usually  billed  at  fifty 
per  cent  of  the  retail  price.  Some  firms 
ask  cash  in  advance  in  the  first  letter 
sent  out,  and  if  this  brings  no  response, 
they  send  another  letter  offering  to  Send 
the  goods  on  receipt  of  half  the  whole 
sale  price  as  a  deposit — balance  to  be 
paid  when  the  goods  are  sord.  It  is  cus- 
tomary to  make  the  goods  returnable,  if 
they  cannot  be  sold.  If  the  second  offer 
is  not  accepted,  a  third  offer  is  some- 
times made,  whereby  the  firm  Coffers  to 
send  the  goods  without  requiring  a  de- 
posit, if  the  prospective  agent  will  send 
satisfactory  reference.  Some  firms  make 
this  latter  offer  in  the  first  instance. 

An  outfit  of  assorted  medicines  to  the 
wholesale  value  of  about  six  dollars  is 
the  usual  amount  sent  to  the  new  agent. 

HOW  TO  KEEP  AGENTS. 

Premiums  are  often  offered  in  this  line 
when  the  agent  has  made  sales  amount- 
ing to  a  certain  sum.  Prizes  are  also 
sometimes  given  to  those  making  the 
largest  sales  during  a  given  time— these 
prizes  have  a  tendency  to  stimulate  sales 
among  the  more  ambitious  agents^  Many 
take  the  agency  for  several  counties  and 
employ  sub-agents  to  help  them  in  sell- 


ing the  medicines.  After  an  agent  has 
worked  up  a  trade  and  has  proven  the 
selling  qualities  of  the  remedy,  he  will, 
of  course,  be  willing  to  pay  cash  in  ad- 
vance, and  to  take  the  discount  that  you  . 
can  afford  to  give  to  those  who  pay  cash, 
An  agent  should  be  protected  in  his  ter- 
ritory. You  should  not  sell  the  medicine 
to  dealers  in  any  part  of  the  country. 
You  should  not  supply  wholesale  drug- 
gists under  any  circumstances.  You 
should  handle  your  agents  with  gloves. 
An  agent  who  can  sell  goods  is  a  valu- 
able acquisition — to  lose  him  is  to  lose 
money.  Grant  any  reasonable  favor  he 
may  ask  of  you.  Reply  to  his  corre- 
spondence courteously  and  at  length. 
Answer  him  fully.  Ship  his  orders  as 
soon  as  may  be.  When  employing  a  new 
agent,  it  is  advisable  to  enclose  such 
hints  and  instructions  as  may  assist  him 
in  the  sale  of  the  medicines.  Send  along 
a  good  supply  of  your  printed  matter, 
and  instruct  him  to  leave  a  copy  of  the 
booklet  at  every  house  when  making  a 
canvass,  whether  he  sells  any  goods  or 
not.  '  When  those  who  did  not  buy  on 
the  first  round  have  had  time  to  read  the 
advertising  matter,  say  a  week  after- 
ward, tell  him  to  call  again.  Testimo- 
nials are  as  valuable  in  selling  medicines 
through  agents  as  in  selling  by  other 
methods.  Instruct  agents  to  keep  an  eye 
on  the  results  of  the  medicines,  and  if 
any  cures  are  made  to  tell  about  them 
when  calling  on  prospective  customers. 
Instruct  the  agents  to  obtain  signed  tes- 
timonials, where  possible,  and  to  send 
these  into  the  home  office — thus  you  will 
be  able  to  flood  any  particular  district 
with  printed  testimonials  of  people  liv- 
ing in  that  locality. 

It  takes  a  good  correspondence  depart- 
ment and  executive  ability  to  manage  a 
large  corps  of  agents  satisfactorily.  It 
takes  business  ability  to  start  an  agency 
medicine  business  on  the  right  founda- 
tion to  achieve  ultimate  success. 

I  can  prepare  the  form  letters  and  ads 
that  will  get  the  agents.  I  can  get  up 
the  circulars,  booklets  and  other  adver- 
tising matter  to  convince  the  public  of 
the  worth  of  your  medicines.  If  you 
have  the  capital  and  ambition  requisite 
to  enter  this  field,  my  advice  and  serv- 
ices will  be  of  immense  advantage  to 
you. 

Below  are  three  letters  which  will  give 
you  an  idea  of  how  to  follow  up  agents, 
whom  you  wish  to  take  hold  of  a  line 
of  medicinal  preparations.  These  letters, 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


47 


indeed,  will  be  of  service  in  showing  the 
beginner  how  to  follow  up  an  ad  calling 
for  agents. 

FIRST  LETTER. 

Dear  Sir : — Your  valued  inquiry  duly 
received  and  in  accordance  with  your  re- 
quest we  take  pleasure  in  giving  you  our 
terms  to  agents  on  our*fast  selling  line 
of  medicines.  We  desire  to  call  your 
particular  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
remedies  manufactured  by  us  are  made 
from  the  purest  and  freshest  drugs  and 
are  compounded  by  competent  chemists 
after  exclusive  formulae.  These  medi- 
cines are  not  merely  made  to  sell — they 
are  made  to  cure  those  who  take  them. 
Every  sale  made  of  these  medicines  in 
a  family  where  they  have  not  heretofore 
been  used  will  mean  a  friend  and  pa- 
tron for  you  and  for  us.  This  is  the 
kind  of  articles  an  agent  should  handle. 
In  the  case  of  most  agents'  goods — where 
you  sell  an  article  once,  you  cannot  sell 
again,  but  must  look  up  a  new  line  of 
goods  or  else  a  new  line  of  customers. 
In  the  case  of  many  trashy  articles  it  will 
be  both. 

Our  medicines  are  popular  priced; 
they  sell  as  fast  on  the  first  canvass  as 
will  most  other  agents'  goods,  and  the 
longer  they  are  sold  in  a  community,  the 
larger  and  easier  the  sales  will  be.  This 
business  does  not  necessarily  require 
much  canvassing  or  traveling  after  the 
medicines  have  been  well  introduced. 
Many  people  will  come  to  your  house,  for 
the  medicines.  The  sales  can  be  made 
by  your  family  in  case  you  are  away. 
You  can  work  at  your  regular  occupa- 
tion and  have  the  medicine  lousiness  as  a 
side  issue,  and  in  many  cases  the  medi- 
cine agency  will  pay  the  better  of  the 
two.  However,  we  shall  be  glad  to  have 
you  devote  your  whole  time  to  the  busi- 
ness should  you  care  to  do  so.  We  will 
give  you  all  the  territory  you  can  work — 
you  can  arrange  to  make  regular  rounds 
through  your  whole  county.  We  give 
our  agents  exclusive  control  of  their 
territory  and  protect  them  in  it.  OUR 
MEDICINES  ARE  NOT  SOLD 
THROUGH  DEALERS,  but  by  agents 
exclusively. 

We  want  to  make  a  trial  of  the  busi- 
ness. We  are  putting  up  a  beginner's 
outfit,  containing  medicines  to  retail  at 
$12.00,  assorted  in  the  manner  which  our 
experience  proves  to  be  most  satisfac- 
tory (see  other  blank  enclosed).  This 
outfit  will  be  sent  express  paid  on  re- 


ceipt of  six  dollars.  Thus  you  will  net 
one  hundred  per  cent  on  your  invest- 
ment and  will  have  established  a  trade 
that  will  stay  with  you  and  continue  to 
grow  larger,  so  long  as  you  stay  in  the 
business. 

If  any  of  the  medicines  do  not  sell, 
they  are  fully  returnable  and  may  be 
exchanged  for  other  medicines  at  any 
time,  or  if  you  decide  not  to  continue 
the  agency  they  may  be  returned  and  the 
amount  paid  will  be  refunded  in  full. 
You  take  no  risk — we  are  glad  to  take 
it  all,  because,  if  you  are  the  man  we 
think  you  are,  we  know  you  will  not  only 
sell  the  preparations  contained  in  this 
sample  box,  but  thousands  of  bottles  be- 
sides. Remit  by  postoffice  or  express 
money  order  or  by  registered  letter. 
Goods  will  be  sent  C.  O.  D.  on  receipt  of 
$1.00,  express  not  prepaid.  Awaiting 
your  order,  and  promising  prompt  ship- 
ment, we  remain, 

Yours  for  business, 

SECOND   LETTER. 

Dear  Sir: — Some  time  ago  we  wrote 
to  you  regarding  the  agency  for  our 
popular-priced  and  wonderfully  effective 
medicines.  We  fully  expected  you  would 
take  hold  of  the  business  and  have  ac- 
cordingly been  holding  the  matter  open 
till  you  reached  a  decision,  but  we  have 
not  heard  from  you.  Did  you  read  our 
advertising  matter  carefully?  Did  you 
notice  that  our  line  of  medicines  is  so 
extensive  as  to  cover  nearly  every  chron- 
ic disease  with  which  mankind  is  afflict- 
ed, as  well  as  various  minor  acute  dis- 
orders ?  Every  family  needs  medicine  of 
some  kind,  and  if  you  handle  our  line 
you  will  be  able  to  supply  that  need  in 
a  majority  of  the  families  in  your  terri- 
tory. We  get  out  a  good  line"  of  adver- 
tising matter  and  supply  our  agents  all 
they  can  use.  This  helps  them  make 
sales.  But  the  good  effects  of  our  medi- 
cine on  all  who  use  them  faithfully  will 
be  a  still  better  advertisement  for  you 
and  for  us. 

Do  not  allow  this  chance  to  go  by 
without  grasping  it.  We  are  offering 
you  a  permanent,  respectable,  and  grow- 
ing business,  which  will  pay  you  well  for 
any  time  you  can  give  to  it."  We  intend 
to  put  an  agent  in  your  locality — if  not 
you,  then  another.  We  had  the  idea 
that  you  would  make  a  first-class  repre- 
sentative for  us.  We  want  an  honest 
and  respectable  person,  who  will  inspire 
confidence  in  his  own  community  and 


48 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


who  will  treat  us  fairly.  If  you  will 
take  up  this  agency  you  will  have  our 
best  help  and  advice  in  your  effort  to 
build  up  a  profitable  business.  We  will 
deal  with  you  fairly  and  generously. 
Our  agents'  interests  are  our'  interests. 
Read  the  testimonials  on  the  inclosed 
folder  from  the  agents  who  are  already 
representing  us.  Your  territory  is  as 
good  as  theirs,  and  what  they  have  done 
you  can  do  also  if  you  will  but  try.  We 
think  our  terms  are  very  liberal — we 
give  you  one-half  the  price  of  the  medi- 
cine ;  you  make  100  per  cent  on  your 
money.  That  is  as  large  a  profit  as  we 
can  afford  to  give,  and  still  give  value  to 
your  customers.  Remember,  it  is  not  the 
largest  commission  which  gives  the  most 
profit,  but  a  fair  commission  combined 
with  such  values  to  the  consumer  that 
you  can  make  large  sales  and  sell  again 
and  again  to  those  who  buy  once. 

Perhaps  you  did  not  feel  that  you 
should  pay  for  all  the  medicine  before 
you  had  sold  any  of  it;  if  that  is  the 
case,  we  are  willing  to  make  you  a  spe- 
cial offer.  Send  us  one-half  of  the  regu- 
lar wholesale  price,  $3,  using  the  in- 
closed order  blank,  which  we  have 
changed  to  agree  with  this  offer,  and  we 
will  send  the  beginner's  box  by  express 
prepaid,  you  to  remit  the  balance  of  the 
price,  $3,  within  thirty  days.  This  will 
permit  you  to  sell  the  medicine  before 
remitting.  Trusting  you  will  respond  to 
this  liberal  offer  in  the  same  spirit  it  is 
made,  we  remain, 

Yours  for  business, 

THIRD  LETTER. 

Dear  Sir: — There  is  no  more  respecta- 
ble work  than  being  an  agent  for  a  line 
of  sterling  medicines,  which  really  cure. 
There  is  no  more  useful  work  nor  one 
which  will  make  you  more  warm  friends 
in  your  community.  There  is  no  other 
agency  proposition  which  will  pay  you 
one-half  so_  well  for  the  time  and  atten- 
tion you  give  to  canvassing  as  will  the 
agency  for  our  standard  remedies. 
There  are  no  other  remedies  sold 
through  agents  which  yield  such  large 
profits  in  the  long  run  as  do  our  goods. 
This  is  because  there  is  no  other  line  of 
proprietary  medicinal  preparations  sold 
through  agents,  druggists,  medicine  deal- 
ers, or  direct  to  the  public  which  gives 
the  purchaser  so  much  benefit  for  his 
money  as  do  our  medicines. 

If  you  intend  to  sell  goods  of  any 
kind  (and  of  course  you  do  or  you 


would  not  have  written  to  us)  you  will 
find  nothing  better  than  our  proposition, 
no  matter  how  long  you  look  or  to  how 
many  you  may  write. 

We  intend  to  introduce  our  medicines 
in  every  locality  in  America.  The  ques- 
tion is,  will  you  help  us  to  make  them 
known  in  your  locality?  We  have  writ- 
ten to  you  twice  and.  have  received  no 
response  to  oflr  letters.  We  think  we 
are  at  least  entitled  to  a  reply. 

We  can  doubtless  get  another  agent  if 
you  will  not  take  hold  and  help  us,  but 
we  had  the  idea  that  you  would  make  a 
better  agent  than  the  average,  and  we 
wished  to  give  you  plenty  of  time  to 
reach  a  decision.  We  find  that  in  many 
cases  those  who  think  the  matter  over  a 
while,  and  look  around  a  bit  before  en- 
gaging with  us,  make  the  very  best  class 
of  agents.  We  have  one  general  agent 
who  is  handling  an  entire  western  state 
and  making  several  hundred  dollars 
monthly,  who  did  not  take  hold  of  our 
proposition  until  he  had  received  the 
third  letter^  from  us.  Perhaps  you  can 
duplicate  his  success. 

Our  chief  object  is  to  get  you  started. 
We  know  that  a  trial  of  the  business 
will  be  more  convincing  than  anything 
we  can  say,  and  in  order  to  get  you  to 
try  selling  our  preparations  we  are  go- 
ing to  break  our  regular  rule  of  requir- 
ing cash  with  order  and  will  make  you 
the  following  special  offer : 

Return  the  special  order  blank  in- 
closed herewith,  properly  filled  out  with 
the  indorsement  of  a  clergyman,  a  repu- 
table business  man,  or  your  postmaster, 
and  we  will  send  the  box  of  medicines, 
which  retail  at  $12  on  consignment,  to 
be  paid  for  when  sold.  You  are  to  pay 
express  charges  on  receipt  of  the  medi- 
cines and  $6  when  you  have  disposed  of 
them.  We  expect  you  to  report  within 
fifteen  days  and  to  hold  any  medicines 
not  sold  and  paid  for  subject  to  our  or- 
der at  any  time.  Kindly  read  the  order 
blank  before  sending  and  tear  off  the 
duplicate,  so  that  you  will  have  a  re- 
minder of  your  contract. 

You  have  only  to  try  to  sell  the  medi- 
cines, to  remit  for  those  sold,  and  to  re- 
turn those  not  sold.  We  take  all  the 
risic.  You  get  as  much  profit  as  we  get 
money  for  manufacturing  the  medicines. 

If  you  do  not  care  to  take  this  agency, 
even  when  these  exceptional  terms  are 
offered  yon,  will  you  not  write  to  us  and. 
say  no  and  we  will  not  bother  you  anv 
further?  If  you  cannot  help  us  we  will 
look  for  some  one  else  in  your  town,  but 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


49 


we  trust  to  hear  from  you  by  return 
mail.  Anxiously  awaiting  your  reply, 
we  remain,  etc. 

FURTHER  SUGGESTIONS. 

In  case's  where  this  consignment  offer 
is  worked  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  good 
series  of  dunning  letters  to  go  to  those 
who  do  not  make  prompt  returns  or  are 
delinquent  in  the  matter  of  remittance. 

If  premiums  are  offered  for  large 
sales,  circulars  giving  full  particulars 
should  be  inclosed  with  the  letter,  and 
the  offers  should  be  briefly  mentioned  in 
the  letters. 

Of  course  the  person  signing  the  order 
blank  does  not  make  himself  responsible 
for  payment,  but  merely  signs  a  state- 
ment that  he  believes  the  applicant  to  be 
honest  and  that  he  is  a  person  who  car- 
ries out  his  agreements. 

If  the  agent  does  not  remit  it  can  be 
held  as  a  club  over  him  that  you  will 
write  to  his  reference.  This  will  some- 
times bring  him  to  time  if  worked  up  in 
the  right  manner.  It  may  avail  some- 
times if  you  do  write  to  the  reference. 

If  it  is  not  desired  to  send  goods 
without  deposit,  the  two  first  letters 
may  ask  for  cash  in  advance  and  the 
last  make  the  "half  cash  with  order" 
offer. 

Better  terms  might  catch  many  agents. 
The  usual  agent's  commission  is  50  per 
cent  of  the  retail  price  on  this  class  of 
goods.  An  offer  of  60  per  cent  in  the 
case  of  a  desirable  line  of  medicines 
should  prove  attractive,  and  ought  to 
help  bring  cash  with  order,  as  the 
agent  would  be  making  150  per  cent  on 
his  investment.  Of  course,  it  could  be 
arranged  so  that  the  advertiser  could 
make  the  necessary  profit.  Less  medi- 
cine could  be  given  in  the  package. 

If  one  tonic  medicine  is  to  be  handled, 
it  would  be  wisest  to  put  it  up  in  tablet 
form,  so  it  could  be  sent  at  a  lower  rate, 
and  it  would  not  require  the  expense  of 
packing,  nor  would  there  be  the  loss 
from  breakage  that  attends  the  shipment 
of  liquids  if  not  very  carefully  packed. 
A  reasonably  full  line  of  remedies  could 
be  put  up  in  this  form  if  it  were  thought 
best,  and  if  the  agent  is  to  be  allowed 
150  per  cent  it  would  be  advisable  to  do 
so.  A  long  course  of  treatment  .can  be 
sold  at  a  low  price  by  putting  up  a  medi- 
cine that  is  to  be  taken  but  once  a  day, 
at  bedtime. 


ADVERTISING    A    MEDICINE    BY 
MAIL. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  a  let- 
ter written  a  short  time  ago  in  answer 
to  an  inquiry  regarding  advertising  a 
cure  for  dyspepsia  by  mail : 

The  cost  of  writing  a  letter  of  this 
kind  pertaining  to  any  proposition  you 
want  to  advertise  is  $5.00. 

''Kindly  overlook  the  seeming  delay 
in  answering  your  letter  as  same  has 
been  unavoidable,  as  I  have  been  out  of 
town  a  few  days  this  week,  but  will  state 
that  a  letter  of  this  kind  requires  con- 
siderable attention,  as  there  are  many 
points  to  be  covered  in  order  to  give  you 
a  correct  idea  as  to  just  what  you  can 
do  in  putting  your  cure  for  dyspepsia 
on  the  market  in  a  mail  order  way. 

"In  the  first  place  the  medicine  should 
be  prepared  in  a  tablet  or  pill  so  that 
you  can  send  it  through  the  mails  cheap- 
ly. If  you  have  not  made  arrangements 
to  have  your  medicine  put  up  in  that 
form,  undoubtedly  you  can  do  so,  as  I 
understand  the  modern  chemistry  makes 
it  possible  to  put  up  medicine  in  any 
form  desired.  As  far  as  the  medicine  it- 
self goes,  undoubtedly  it  would  have  the 
same  effect  if  sent  to  the  patient  in  bottle, 
but  the  cost  of  sending  it  would  deduct 
considerable  from  your  profits  and  in  the 
mail  order  business  every  cent  that  you 
can  save  in  expense  of  this  kind  adds  to 
your  profits.  Again,  it  is  customary  in 
the  mail  order  medicine  business  to  send 
out  samples  of  the  medicine  and  if  you 
^have  your  medicine  in  pill  or  tablet  form, 
you  can  send  two  or  three  tablets  in  an 
envelope  as  a  free  sample  of  medicine. 
This  free  sample  method  is  that  used  by 
all  of  the  successful  mail  order  medicine 
firms,  and  of  course  you  would  have  to 
adopt  the  same  method  in  order  to  at- 
tract your  share  of  the  business. 

"There  is  no  medicine  that  can  be 
sold  direct,  from  the  fact  that  the  ad  and 
the  advertisement  must  simply  bring  the 
inquiries,  and  the  sale  developed  by 
your  circular,  follow-up  system  of  cir- 
cular letters,  etc.  With  a  limited  appro- 
priation, should  advise  a  small  ad  in  a 
large  number  of  papers  in  preference  to 
a  large  ad  in  a  few  papers. 

"Now,  when  these  inquiries  are  re- 
ceived you  should  have  a  booklet  de- 
scribing the  medicine  and  a  circular  let- 
ter. The  advertisement  is  constructed 
so  as  to  bring  replies  from  those  who 
have  dyspepsia. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


"Now,  then,  this  booklet  should  de- 
scribe the  horrors  of  dyspepsia  and  the 
fact  that  stomach  troubles  are  danger- 
ous and  gradually  lead  to  the  breaking 
down  of  the  entire  system  and  convinc- 
ing them  that  your  dyspepsia  cure  will 
cure  dyspepsia  and  all  other  stomach 
troubles.  Then,  of  course,  the  symptoms 
of  dyspepsia  and  stomach  troubles  should 
be  described. 

"It  would  be  useless  for  you  to  ex- 
pect to  obtain  success  unless  you  had 
convincing  literature  like  that  used  by 
other  successful  advertisers  in  this  line. 
Even  though  you  advertise  in  a  small 
way  it  should  be  possible  for  you  to 
get  as  much  business  in  proportion  to 
the  amount  of  advertising  you  do,  as 
firms  who  are  spending  thousands  of 
dollars.  Where  most  advertisers  fail, 
is  that  they  imagine  that  b'ecause  they 
are  spending  a  small  amount  of  money 
that  it  is  not  worth  while  to  get  up  a 
very  elaborate  system  of  follow-up  lit- 
erature, whereas  nothing  could  be  fur- 
ther from  the  truth. 

"With  this  booklet  you  should  also 
send  a  circular  letter,  which  would  be 
written  in  the  same  vein  as  though  it 
was  a  personal  letter  and  you  had  dic- 
tated it  personally  to  the  party  making 
the  inquiry.  The  reason  I  suggest  a  cir- 
cular letter,  is  that  you  will  receive  so 
many  replies  that  if  you  attempted  to 
answer  them  all  with  actual,  bona-fide 
letters  you  would  have  more  than  you 
could  attend  to. 

"Of  course,  those  who  send  for  and 
receive  a  free  sample  will  not  order  your 
treatment  immediately  on  hearing  from 
you,  but  your  inquiries  will  have  to  be 
coaxed  or  nursed  along  by  means  of 
your  follow-up  letters,  which  you  will 
send  them  at  frequent  intervals.  I 
should  say  that  each  inquiry  should  be 
written  to  three  or  four  times,  and  sent 
a  circular  letter  on  the  same  order  that 
you  sent  them  the  first  time,  only  each 
letter  giving  them  additional  reasons 
why  they  should  order. 

"As  to  the  price  of  the  medicine,  I  be- 
lieve that  $1.00  or  $1.50  for  a  month's 
treatment  would  be  the  right  price.  It 
is  hard  to  get  a  higher  price  than  this 
for  medicines  for  these  troubles,  so 
would  advise  you  to  advertise  it  at  that 
figure.  Undoubtedly  you  can  do  so  at 
a  fair  profit  to  yourself. 

"The  best  mediums  for  you  to  use 
for  this  advertising  are,  first  the  mail 
order  monthlies,  second  some  of  the 


large  weeklies  and  third  the  classified 
columns  of  the  dailies.  With  a  limited 
appropriation,  however,  I  would  not  ad- 
vise you  to  do  much  experimenting,  but 
to  confine  your  efforts  to  the  papers  that 
have  built  up  success  in  the  mail  order 
medical  field,  which  papers  are"  the  mail 
order  monthlies  of  big  circulation,  which 
ga  to  country  people  in  the  small  towns 
and  villages,  among  the  farmers  and  in 
the  back  woods  to  people  who  do  not 
have  the  opportunity  of  consulting  first- 
class  physicians  and  who  are  open  to  a 
proposition  of  this  kind.  Take  say  a 
five-line  ad  in  the  following  list,  and  you 
can  reach  a  large  number  of  people  at 
a  comparatively  small  amount.  Would 
not  advise  you  to  place  this  advertising 
until  you  get  everything  ready,  your 
booklet  printed,  circulars  all  ready  to 
send  out,  your  medicine  put  up  in  dollar 
boxes  and  envelopes  prepared  to  hold 
three  or  four  of  each  as  samples  and 
then  when  you  get  everything  ready 
place  your  advertising. 

"I  have  handled  a  great  deal  of  ad- 
vertising of  this  kind  for  many  success- 
ful firms,  know  what  papers  to  use,  how 
to  get  up  literature  that  will  bring  busi- 
ness and  in  fact  can  look  after  the  ad- 
vertising end  so  that  it  will  be  a  suc- 
cess. 

"I  should  like  to  handle  your  adver- 
tising and  feel  sure  that  we  could  make 
this  successful.  The  cost  of  replies 
should  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  25c 
each.  That  is,  if  you  placed  $100  worth 
of  advertising  you  could  figure  on  get- 
ting about  four  hundred  replies. 

"Now  it  would  be  very  probable  that 
the  business  will  not  show  any  profits 
for  several  months,  as  inquiries  received 
have  to  be  nursed  along  carefully  and, 
of  course,  you  will  receive  many  replies 
that  you  will  never  hear  from  again, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  those  who  order 
a  month's  treatment  will  undoubtedly 
keep  the  treatment  up  until  they  are 
cured  and  also  many  who  are  cured  by 
your  treatment  will  tell  their  friends 
about  it  and  the  fame  of  your  remedies 
grow  in  this  way  and  bring  increased 
business  to  you. 

"If  you  have  not  decided  what  name 
you  will  advertise  under,  I  would  ad- 
vise you  to  advertise  under  your  own 
name  as  a  specialist  in  these  troubles, 
and  not  under  the  name  of  a  company. 
You  have  a  great  advantage  over  most 
medical  advertisers,  in  that  you  are  a 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS* 


doctor  and  can  give  advice  and  very 
often  you  will  have  a  chance  to  treat 
these  people  for  other  troubles,  as  no 
doubt  you  will  find  persons  who  have 
stomach  trouble  may  also  be  troubled 
with  rheumatism,  etc.  Believe  it  would 
be  a  good  plan  to  get  up  some  kind  of 
a  symptom  blank  whereby  they  would 
describe  their  symptoms  so  that  you  can 
get  in  line  with  those  that  have  other 
diseases.  However,  your  leader  would 
be  your  Dyspepsia  Cure  and  this  you 
could  push. 


"I  think  there  is  a  great  chance  for 
you  making  a  success  as  the  field  is 
practically  unlimited,  and  you  have  the 
whole  United  States  to  work  in  and 
these  papers  which  I  have  mentioned 
will  carry  your  ad  to  people  whom  you 
can  easily  convince  and  get  quick  action 
on,  but  you  cannot  make  a  fortune  on 
this  in  a  few  months  and  you  will  not 
be  able  to  do  any  business  at  all  to 
speak  of  unless  you  have  the  right  kind 
of  literature,  because  other  advertisers 
have  it  and  you  have  to  compete  with 
them." 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  X. 
Giving  Satisfaction. 


In  many  places  in  my  book  I  refer  to 
a  "scheme."  I  do  not  mean  by  that 
anything  dishonest,  but  a  "plan"  worked 
out  and  developed  on  sound  principles. 

It  is  amusing  to  experienced  advertis- 
ing men  to  note  the  attempts  that  are 
made  by  young  advertisers  to  fool  peo- 
ple with  deceptive  advertisements.  Some 
of  these  fellows  that  couldn't  swap  jack 
knives  without  getting  the  worst  of  it 
imagine  they  have  the  ability  to  humbug 
people  in  an  advertisement.  In  the  end 
the  dishonest  advertiser  gets  the  worst 
of  it  from  the  postoffice  department.  I 
hope,  -however,  that  those  who  read  this 
book  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  advice 
on  conducting  a  mail  order  business  will 
not  become  imbued  with  the  idea  that 
any  other  policy  except  that  of  honesty 
will  pay. 

Anybody  can  sell  a  man  a  thing  the 
first  time.  It  is  easy  to  take  an  inferior 
article  and  write  it  up  in  an  advertise- 
ment so  that  the  people  will  believe  it  to 
be  first  class.  The  secret  of  success  in 
the  mail  order  business  Cor,  in  fact,  of 
any  business)  is  in  giving  your  cus- 
tomer satisfaction  so  he  will  deal  with 
you  again.  You  do  not  want  to  mis- 
represent things  in  any  way.  You 
want  to  have  him  feel  that  he  has  had 
the  value  of  his  money  and  has  been 
rightly  used. 

What  I  am  saying  is  not  mere  theory, 
it  is  the  truth,  proven  beyond  question. 

PROMPTNESS. 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  the 
mail  order  dealer  can  give  his  customers 
satisfaction.  One  is  by  prompt  filling 
of  his  orders.  One  hot  day  I  was  in  the 
office  of  a  young  mail  order  dealer  at 
about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There 
was  a  pile  of  unfilled  orders'  on  his  desk, 
and  he  was  reading  a  story  in  one  of  the 
magazines.  By  and  by  he  suggested  that 
he  lock  the  place  up  and  go  out  to  the 
races. 

Then  and  there  I  gave  him  a  lecture 
on  the  way  that  he  was  conducting  his 


business.  I  told  him  that  every  order 
on  his  desk  should  be  filled  at  once,  and 
if  he  couldn't  fill  the  order  he  should 
write  to  his  customers  and  state  the  rea- 
son why.  He  said  he  didn't  think  a  day 
or  two  would  make  any  difference  in 
filling  an  order,  but  I  explained  to  him 
that  when  a  person  in  the  country  or- 
dered a  thing  he  was  anxious  to  get  it 
as  soon  as  possible.  When  there  is 
any  delay  they  fuss  and  fume  around 
so  that  when  it  finally  does  arrive  the 
pleasure  they  might  have  experienced  is 
worn  off.  The  next  time  they  want  any 
thing  they  will  go  somewhere  else  to 
avoid  another  disappointment. 

Another  way  of  giving  satisfaction  is 
the  careful  answering  of  correspondence. 
A  careless  correspondent  can  ruin  the 
best  advertised  business  on  earth.  When 
you  attempt  to  answer  a  letter  be  sure 
that  you  have  answered  it  in  full,  that 
no  point,  however  trivial  it  may  appear 
to  you,  has  been  overlooked.  If  you 
neglect  a  point,  that  may  be  the  very 
thing  that  will  knock  you  in  making  a 
sale. 

SLACK  METHODS. 

Some  firms  never  acknowledge  receipt 
of  orders.  They  imagine  that  when  they 
have  filled  the  order  as  specified  they 
have  done  their  part  of  the  agreement. 
There  is  no  law  compelling  a  mail  order 
man  to  write  a  short  letter  acknowledg- 
ing an  order  and  thanking  the  purchaser 
for  it,  any  more  than  there  is  a  law  com- 
pelling the  store  keeper  to  be  polite.  It 
has  been  found,  however,  that  it  pays. 
When  a  man  passes  over  money  he  likes 
to  have  it  appreciated.  It  inspires  him 
to  do  business  with  you  again. 

Accuracy  in  filling  orders  is  another 
point.  For  a  customer  to  receive  a  pack- 
age short  any  article  is  especially  bad,  as 
it  gives  the  impression  that  it  might 
have  been  intentional.  It  pays  to  check 
all  orders  up  carefully  to  be  sure  that 
every  article  is  exactly  as  ordered.  See 
that  the  packages  are  also  carefully  done 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


53 


up,  so  there  will  be  no  danger  of  their 
becoming  damaged.  You  will  find  that 
all  these  little  things  pay  to  be  looked 
after.  Remember  the  saying  that  "a 
bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the 
bush,"  and  strive  to  keep  your  old  cus 
tomers. 

COMPETITION. 

There  is  competition  in  the  mail  order 
field,  as  there  is  in  every  other  business, 
that  offers  profitable  returns  for  the 
capital  expended.  The  man  who  is  look- 
ing for  a  field  of  effort  where  there  is 
no  competition  is  chasing  rainbows. 

The  right  way  to  meet  competition  is 
to'  give  a  little  better  values  than  your 
competitors.  Devote  more  thought  and 
attention  to  your  work — hard  work  usu- 
ally brings  its  own  reward.  Then  ad- 
vertise extensively  and  wisely.  Adver- 
tising is  the  greatest  business  making 
force  of  the  day. 

If  you  sell  the  right  goods  for  the 
right  price,  give  your  business  the  proper 
attention,  and  advertise  judiciously,  you 
can  hardly  fail  to  succeed  in  a  greater 
or  less  measure. 

You  will  take  the  lead  of  competitors 
because  so  few  of  them  do  these  things. 
So  few  have  the  ambition  and  energy 
necessary  to  exce.1  either  in  values,  serv- 
ice, or  publicity. 

To  give  better  values  than  others  do, 
it  is  necessary  to  adopt  more  economical 
buying,  selling,  manufacturing,  or  hand- 
ling methods.  This  requires  study  and 
thought  on  the  part  of  the  manager  of 
the  business. 

Advertising  is  of  course  a  part  of  the 
selling  system,  and  it  can  readily  be  seen 
how  important  it  is  that  the  advertising 
should  sell  the  goods  at  the  least  possible 
expense.  It  can  easily  be  understood 
that  if  a  good  advertisement  will  sell 
twice  as  many  goods  as  the  indifferent 
one  the  advertising  writer  who  writes 
the  good  ad  can  sell  the  goods  at  one- 
half  the  expense  incurred  by  the  writer 
of  the  indifferent  copy. 

The  "good  enough"  doctrine  is  what 
keeps  many  men  from  getting  on.  A 
thing  isn't  good  enough  until  it  is  just 
right.  A  little  more  work,  a  little  more 
care  are  what  make  the  difference  be- 
tween success  and  failure.  Yet  the  fact 
that  so  many  are  content  with  the  "good 
enough"  makes  it  all  the  easier  for  the 
right  man  to  start  in  business  where 


there  is  lots  of  competition  with  fair 
prospects  of  success.  He  can  lead  in  the 
race  before  his  competitors  have  become 
aware  that  there  is  a  more  aggressive  ri- 
val in  the  field. 

But  don't  knock  competitors — don't 
show  that  you  feel  their  competition. 
The  man  who  makes  a  personal  griev- 
ance of  a  competitor's  success  shows 
himself  of  very  small  caliler.  Just  keep 
working  away  trying  to  give  the  public 
better  values  for  their  money  than  they 
can  obtain  elsewhere,  and  you  will  have 
your  reward  all  in  due  time. 

SELLING  TO  THE  FARMER. 

If  the  advertiser  wishes  to  go  after  the 
farmer's  personal  trade — that  is,  sell  the 
goods  that  the  farmer  buys  for  his  own 
use  and  to  be  used  in  his  business — there 
is  no  o'ther  class  of  mediums  that  will 
give  such  good  results  as  will  the  ag- 
ricultural papers. 

It  should  be  remembered,  too,  that  the 
farmer  who  gives  the  most  attentive 
reading  to  this  class  of  papers  is  the  up 
to  date,  successful  farmer.  He  is  the 
man  who  is  looking  for  the  latest  in  ag- 
ricultural machinery  and  for  the  best 
strains  of  seeds  and  blooded  stock.  He 
is  looking  for  meritorious  goods  and  has 
the  money  to  buy  them. 

The  old  fashioned  farmer,  who  sneers 
at  book  farming,  will  not  be  reached  by 
the  agricultural  papers,  but  in  a  majority 
of  cases  he  is  the  man  who  hasn't  money 
to  spend,  even  if  he  can  be  reached.  He 
is  the  renter,  who  goes  from  one  farm 
to  another  as  sure  as  the  ist  of  April 
comes  'round,  or  he  is  the  man  with  a 
mortgage  on  his  back. 

If  the  advertiser  wishes  to  sell  har- 
vesting machinery,  incubators,  fencing 
materials,  seeds,  trees,,  and  plants,  and 
other  goods  of  a  practical,  business  like 
nature,  let  him  tell  about  them  in  an 
honest,  straightforward  way  through  the 
columns  of  the  farm  papers,  and  the 
goods  will  go  all  right,  if  the  quality  is 
there  and  the  right  prices  are  quoted. 

But  the  farm  papers  will  sell  other 
articles  than  these.  They  will  sell  paints 
and  roofing  material ;  they  will  sell  bug- 
gies and  harness — if  there  is  anything 
that  the  average  farmer  lays  himself  out 
on  is  the  rig  that  he  drives  on  Sun- 
days ;  they  will  sell  clothing  and  watches 
for  the  farmer's  own  use. 

Now  it  may  be  noted  that  though  the 


54 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER  BUSINESS. 


agricultural  papers  are  such  good  me- 
diums to  reach  the  farmer  personally, 
they  might  not  all  of  them  prove  equally 
valuable  as  mediums  for  reaching  the 
farmer's  family ;  and  it  is  the  farmer's 
wife  and  daughter  who  spend  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  the  farmer's  income. 
But  the  average  farmer's  wife  and 
daughter  are  interested  in  the  dairy  and 
in  poultry  raising,  and  scan  the  columns 
of  the  agricultural  paper  devoted  to 
these  subjects.  Then,  too,  the  average 
agricultural  paper  runs  considerable 
household  matter,  stories  for  the  chil- 
dren, etc. 

FORM  LETTERS. 

A  form  letter  does  not  necessarily 
mean  a  printed  circular  letter.  Set 
forms  save  time  and  enable  one  to  use 
a  stronger  letter  in  answering  regular 
correspondence  on  the  machine.  Of 
course  these  forms  should  be  sufficient- 
ly elastic  so  that  changes  can  be  in- 
corporated in  the  body  of  the  letter  to 
meet  each  individual  case.  A  letter 
whether  a  form  letter,  a  dictated  letter, 
or  a  personally  written  letter,  should 
reply  in  full  to  the  inquiry.  It  will 
make  a  prospective  customer  decidedly 
chilly  to  receive  a  "form"  or  "circular" 
ktter  which  does  not  cover  his  case  at 
all.  If  one  wishes  to  use  circular  let- 
ters that  really  give  the  effect  of  type- 
written letters  he  should  see  to  it  that 
they  are  expertly  duplicated  on  a  good 
grade  of  paper  and  that  the  ribbon  on 
the  machine,  when  filling  in  the  name  and 
address,  matches  the  printing  ink.  Oth- 
erwise there  is  no  use  of  using  type- 
writer type.  People  are  educated  up  to 
the  point  where  only  the  best  of  imita- 
tions will  deceive  them. 

When  sending  catalogue  and  follow- 
up  literature,  the  matter  in  letters  as 
well  as  its  length  must  be  determined 
by  the  class  of  people  to  whom  it  is  to  be 
rent  A  letter  concerning  office  furni- 
ture which  goes  to  the  business  men  of 
the  country  should  be  broken  up  into 
short,  snappy  paragraphs,  and  should 
not  contain  over  three  hundred  and  fifty 
words.  On  the  other  hand,  a  letter 
which  goes  to  the  country  consumer  or 
to  agents  may  in  some  cases  be  made 
twice  as  long  and  it  will  still  be  read 
thoroughly.  The  number  of  letters  and 
the  amount  of  literature  to  be  sent  to  an 
inquirer  who  has  failed  to  purchase 
goods  depends  upon  the  profit  one  can 
make  on  the  prospective  sale. 


A  manufacturer  of  buggies  and  har- 
ness, for  instance,  can  afford  to  keep 
after  the  inquirer  not  only  for  a  few 
weeks,  but  for  several  weeks  during  the 
early  summer  for  several  years.  Suppose, 
for  instance,  the  women  of  a  farmer's 
family  have  been  urging  a  new  buggy  or 
family  carriage,  accordingly  he  sends  for 
catalogues  to  three  or  four  firms,  but 
finds,  eventually  that  certain  expenses 
on  which  he  had  not  reckoned  will  make 
it  well-nigh  impossible  for  him  to  buy 
the  vehicle  that  year.  Perhaps  the  same 
conditions  will  confront  him  the  next 
year,  and  not  until  the  third  year  does 
he  find  himself  in  a  position  to  make  the 
desired  purchase.  Suppose,  but  one  of 
the  manufacturers  to  whom  he  sent  for 
catalogues  persists  until  the  third  year; 
if  that  firm's  catalogue  and  a  good  busi- 
ness-like letter  is-  before  him  when  he 
gets  ready  to  order,  he  is  extremely 
likely  to  let  them  furnish  the  vehicle. 
If  no  one  of  the  firms  keep  at  him  until 
the  third  year,  he  is  very  likely  to  or- 
der from  his  local  dealer. 


With  the  catalogue  there  usually  goes 
what  might  not  inappropriately  be  called 
an  introductory  letter — a  small  conver- 
sational talk  which  aims  to  produce 
pleasant  relations  between  the  person 
who  has  written  the  booklet's  descrip- 
tions and  the  person  who  reads  them. 
Thus  the  Burlington  Basket  Company, 
of  Burlington,  la.,  sends  the  following 
communication : 

Dear  Sir : — Your  inquiry  came  to  hand 
today,  and  as  the  writer  personally  at- 
tended to  the  mailing  of  the  catalogue 
to  you,  we  are  sure  it  will  reach  you  all 
right.  We  really  tried  hard  to  make  that 
catalogue  tell  the  whole  story  in  a  plain, 
truthful  way,  but  try  as  we  might,  it 
didn't  s-ay  it  all.  Even  a  personal  talk 
with  you  could  not  do  that.  It  takes 
the  basket  to  win  its  way.  Order  one. 
Use  it.  And  then  tell  us  what  you 
think.  If  you  don't  think  it  a  rare  bar- 
gain, your  money  will  be  sent  back  to 
you.  The  basket  is  really  the  working 
out  of  our  own  desires,  we  being  people 
who  like  the  woods  and  the  banks  of 
streams,  and  at  the  same  time  are  mak- 
ers of  baskets.  Right  well  we  worked 
on  this  problem  and  would  be  well  re- 
paid had  we  only  made  that  first  one — 
the  one  we  still  use.  It  has  cheered  us 
on  many  a  hot  dusty  noontime  by  the 
cool  cleanliness  of  its  contents. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


55 


It  may  be  that  it  has  made  us  preju- 
diced, but  we  still  believe  that  we  are 
manufacturing  the  most  satisfactory  ad- 
dition yet  made  to  the  outfit  of  the  man 
who  likes  the  out-of-doors. 

As  to  the  make-up  of  the  basket,  you 
can  be  sure  that  every  part  of  it  is  of 
the  very  best  material — that  it  will  be  a 
joy  and  a  comfort.  We  have  made  the 
book  tell  only  the  truth  because  we 
want  to  make  friends  with  you  who  are 
interested.  We  know  that  this  basket 
must  stand  the  criticism  of  many  a  way- 
side talk  and  it  is  here  and  there  on 
country  roads  and  city  parks  and  by  the 
lakes  and  rivers  that  we  must  make  our 
friends  or  our  critics. 

We  want  your  order  and  we  are  going 
to  look  for  it  with  the  understanding 
that  you  can  have  your  money  back  if 
you  are  not  satisfied. 

Yours   very   respectfully, 
BURLINGTON  BASKET  CO., 
E.  A.  Florang. 

P.  S. — If  desired  we  will  paint  your 
name  on  the  cover  free  of  charge. 

B.  B.  CO. 

IF  YOU  WANT  MY  HELP. 

I  want  to  impress  upon  the  reader  that 
if  he  desires  to  secure  my  services  in 
placing  and  writing  advertising  that  I 
do  not  have  anything  to  do  with  furnish- 
ing goods  or  choosing  them,  outside  of 
selecting  a  leader  from  your  batch  of 
circulars  or  catalogue.  When  you  get 
your  business  organized  and  decide  what 
you  will  handle  and  how  extensively  you 
will  advertise,  I  should  like  to  hear  from 
you,  and  believe  we  can  co-operate  to 
advantage. 


I  have  the  inside  track  of  the  mail  or- 
der business  and  know  the  circulars,  lit- 
erature, methods,  and  media  used  by  al- 
most every  successful  mail  order  adver- 
tiser in  the  country.  It  costs  me  hun- 
dreds of  dollars  to  keep  posted,  but  I 
manage  to  do  it  for  the  benefit  of  my 
clients. 

I  can  save  you  money  that  you  would 
lose  if  you  tried  to  conduct  your  adver- 
tising alone.  Much  of  the  mail  order  ad- 
vertising is  a  failure  because  it  is  not 
placed  in  the  right  mediums.  Some  of 
the  mail  order  monthlies  are  a  gold 
mine,  but  they  must  be  properly  worked 
to  produce  any  money  for  the  advertiser. 
I  know  what  papers  pay  and  what  do 
not. 

If  you  want  to  start  in  the  mail  order 
business  to  make  money,  you  will  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  an  experienced  adver- 
tising agent  who  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
mail  order  business,  who  places  adver- 
tising for  hundreds  of  successful  clients, 
who  is  employed  by  some  of  the  largest 
firms  in  the  entire  United  States  to 
write  their  advertisements,  circulars,  and 
booklets,  can  be  of  considerable  assist- 
ance to  you. 

If  you  are  not  making  money  in  the 
mail  order  business,  you  should  be.  Why 
is  it?  Why  continue  to  lose  money 
when  other  firms  are  making  it? 

A  small  sum  to  be  spent  in  the  cream 
of  the  mail  order  mediums  can  with  my 
skill,  experience,  and  judgment  be  made 
to  yield  results  that  will  soon  lead  to 
larger  and  successful  efforts.  I  solicit 
correspondence  from  those  purchasers  of 
this  book  who  mean  business,  and  will 
give  all  letters  careful  attention. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A  Few  Suggestions. 


There  are  so  many  different  classes  of 
advertising  propositions  that  it  is  difficult 
to  lay  down  any  hard  and  fast  rules  that 
will  apply  to  every  advertiser's  business. 
Each  separate  case  must  be  studied  by 
itself  before  a  final  judgment  can  be  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  correct  method  of  pro- 
cedure. It  must  be  studied  without 
prejudice  for  or  against  any  particular 
line  of  action.  The  man  who  is  to  direct 
the  campaign  should  know  what  has 
been  done  by  other  advertisers,  and  how 
well  the -different  methods  have  succeed- 
ed. He  should  have  common  sense  plus 
technical  skill  and  bring  it  all  to  bear  on 
the  problem.  Those  who  say  that  adver- 
tising is  an  exact  science  claim  too  much. 
There  is  no  advertising  man  in  the  world 
who  can  take  hold  of  a  new  proposition 
that  has  never  been  advertised  and  be 
sure  of  giving  a  certain  specified  profit 
from  a  specified  advertising  appropria- 
tion. 

If  advertising  were  a  sure  thing,  as 
some  are  claiming,  the  various  publica- 
tions would  be  obliged  to  double  their 
advertising  space,  and  then  would  be 
compelled  to  leave  put  many  who  were 
hammering  to  get  in.  The  advertising 
man  who  could  infallibly  and  invariably 
produce  large  profits  for  his  clients 
would  soon  have  all  the  advertising  in 
America  placed  in  his  hands.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  is  that  advertising  is  busi- 
ness, and  in  every  business  there  are 
business  risks.  Methods  that  prove  prof- 
itable one  year  may  fail  the  next  through 
no  accountable  reason.  The  public 
changes.  What  will  meet  the  fancy  of 
the  fickle  public  at  one  time  will  fall 
down  at  the  next  trial.  And  then  one 
cannot  judge  of  the  ultimate  results  of 
an  advertising  campaign  until  it  has  been 
continued  for  some  time.  Many  an  ad- 
vertiser has  won  out  by  sticking  to  it  a 
little  longer.  Many  a  man  who  has  quit 
a  loser  might  have  won  out  if  he  had 
possessed  the  grit  to  hang  on  a  month 
or  a  year  longer. 


TRY  IT   OUT. 

A  plan  may  bear  all  the  ear  marks  of 
success  and  still  prove  a  failure  in  prac- 
tical operation.  One  can  never  tell  ex- 
actly how  the  public  is  going  to  take 
hold  of  a  new  plan  or  a  new  article  un- 
til it  has  been  tried  out. 

Before  appropriating  a  large  amount 
of  money,  one  should  test  the  selling 
qualities  of  the  goods  by  using  one  good 
medium — the  one  that  is,  in  the  opinion 
of  an  experienced  advertising  man,  the 
best  adapted  to  bring  business  for  the 
advertiser's  proposition. 

Prepare  to  handle  the  business;  have 
good  printed  matter  and  a  series  of  good 
follow-up  letters.  Place  a  fair  sized  ad 
in  the  medium  selected  and  let  it  run  for 
at  least  two  or  three  months.  You  can- 
not get  an  absolutely  correct  line  on  a 
paper's  pulling  powers  from  one  inser- 
tion, though  the  one  insertion  should 
bring  some  returns  if  the  proposition  is 
going  to  prove  a  winner. 

If  the  returns  after  running  the  ad  for 
three  months  show  up  well,  enlarge  the 
appropriation  and  go  into  other  good  pa- 
pers. It  may  be. that  trying  the  matter 
out  will  show  that  there  are  points  of 
weakness  in  the  plan  as  first  devised. 
When  getting  out  a  new  supply  of  ad- 
vertising remedy  these  weak  points. 

After  once  proving  you  have  a  suc- 
cessful plan,  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot. 
Push  the  scheme  for  all  that  your  capi- 
tal will  permit.  If  you  have  devised  a 
successful  plan,  others  will  soon  know  of 
it  and  camp  on  your  trail.  Get  a  good 
start  before  your  prospective  competitors 
can  get  under  way.  Take  the  lead  and 
try  to  hold  it.  Make  all  the  money  you 
can  before  competition  becomes  strenu- 
ous. 

To  tell  an  advertiser  that  he  ought 
not  to  expect  returns  at  once,  and  that 
he  ought  to  be  willing  to  advertise  a 
long  time  before  he  begins  to  get  any 
of  his  money  back  is  to  tell  him  the 
road  to  ruin. 

The  time  to  expect  results  from  a 
mail  order  advertisement  is  at  once.  I 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


57 


do  not  mean  by  this  that  as  soon  as  the 
advertiser  puts  an  ad  in  a  paper  that 
he  will  be  flooded  with  replies,  but  if 
he  stands  any  chance  of  success  at  all, 
he  will  begin  to  get  a  few  replies  at 
once.  If  he  gets  no  replies  whatever, 
something  is  wrong,  either  with  the 
ad,  the  medium,  or  with  both.  To  con- 
tinue with  such  advertising  would  be  to 
pursue  a  very  foolish  policy. 

The  first  insertion  of  an  advertisement 
very  seldom  pays  for  itself.  If  you  ad- 
vertise for  the  first  time  in  a  certain 
paper,  you  will  probably  not  get  so  good 
returns  as  you  will  after  you  have  ad- 
vertised three  or  four  times.  It  is  con- 
tinuous advertising  that  pays,  except  in 
the  case  of  novelties  and  other  ephem- 
eral productions  that  depend  for  their 
sale  upon  the  fancy  of  the  moment. 

However,  an  ad  on  this  would  pull  out 
no  doubt  if  worked  in  the  manner  now 
suggested.  To  those  that  reply  to  the  ad 
you  send  a  circular  something  like  this, 
only  go  into  the  matter  more  elaborately 
and  work  on  their  imagination  more.  A 
2,000  word  circular  would  make  this  a 
very  strong  proposition : 

Dear  Sir : — Your  esteemed  favor  at 
hand.  You  are  well  aware  that  the  sil- 
vering of  mirrors  is  and  always  has  been 
a  valuable  trade  secret,  held  with  sealed 
lips  by  the  few  who  have  it.  I  am  the 
first  one  in  the  business  who  believes 
in  living  and  let  live.  I  have  all  the 
business  that  I  can  take  care  of  and  do 
justice  to;  therefore  I  offer  to  send  you 
complete  instructions  in  typewritten  form 
of  all  the  secrets  in  regard  to  this  busi- 
ness, including  all  the  formulas  and 
minute  details  in  regard  to  making  them. 

The  instructions  are  very  complete 
and  so  simple  that  I  guarantee  that  any 
one  who  can  read  can  follow  them  step 
by  step,  from  the  making  of  the  solution 
to  the  finishing  of  a  nice  mirror.  This  is 
also  a  good  opportunity  for  bright  boys, 
as  they  can  learn  to  do  this  work  as  well 
as  men,  and  will  find  it  interesting  and 
very  profitable.  There  is  lots  of  business 
of  this  kind  in  every  town.  Furniture 
stores  would  be  glad  to  give  you  their 
business  in  this  line  and  save  time, 
freight,  and  chance  of  breakage.  Many 
families  have  damaged  mirrors  that  they 
prize  highly  and  would  have  resilvered 
if  they  knew  that -they  could  have  it  done 
without  the  trouble  and  expense  of  send- 
ing them  away.  There  is  easy  work  and 
big  profits  in  this  trade  for  some  one  in 
every  town.  A  new  mirror,  18x36 


inches,  will  cost  you  $5.  You  can  re- 
plate  one  the  same  size  one  coat  for  10 
cents. 

I  will  send  you  complete  instructions 
for  silvering  mirrors,  typewritten  form, 
for  only  $2.  This  takes  in  five  different 
processes.  Or  I  will  send  you  instruc- 
tions in  mirror  work  and  intaglio  etch- 
ing, foiling,  embossing,  and  glass  chip- 
ping, which  is  a  valuable  addition  and 
makes  the  course  complete,  for  $3.  If 
there  should  be  anything  about  the  in- 
structions or  formulas  that  you  dp  not 
understand  thoroughly  you  are  at  liberty 
to  write  me  and  I  will  gladly  answer  all 
questions,  promptly  until  you  are  pro- 
ficient in  the  work. 

Trusting  that  you  will  take  advantage 
of  this  opportunity,  and  awaiting  your 
commands,  which  will  have  our  prompt 
attention,  I  am  Yours  very  truly, 

The  above  is  the  circular  letter  used 
by  an  advertiser  who  is  working  on  the 
plan  suggested.  It  would  not  be  fair  to 
him  •  to  give  the  formula  here,  as  then 
everybody  could  work  it,  but  there  are 
dozens  of  equally  good  schemes  that  you 
can  think  of,  and  if  written  up  in  .the 
right  way  will  make  a  good  proposition. 

If  you  know  of  a  business  the  secrets 
of  which  are  not  known  to  the  general 
public,  and  can  get  particulars  of  how 
the  business  is  managed,  I  will  write 
such  business  up  for  you  on  this  scheme 
plan.  The  circular  matter  can  give  the 
name  of  the  business  and  go  into  details 
as  to  the  great  profits  it  offers  and  the 
opportunities  it  presents  to  those  looking 
for  a  chance  to  better  their  condition. 
The  business  should  be  of  such  a  nature 
that  it  can  be  started  with  little  or  no 
capital. 

If  you  do  not  know  of  such  a  business 
I  can  supply  you  with  the  business  as 
well  as  the  literature  describing  it. 'That 
is,  I  will  find  a  business  of  this  kind  and 
prepare  instructions  for  running  it  that 
you  can  send  to  those  remitting  the 
price  you  charge  for  such  instructions.  I 
will  write  a  circular  or  folder  long 
enough  to  treat  the  subject  at  length 
and  to  bring  forward  every  argument 
likely  to  interest  those  looking  for  busi- 
ness opportunities  of  this  kind.  I  will 
also  write  a  form  letter  to  go  with  the 
circular  or  folder,  which  will  add  ma- 
terially to  its  pulling  qualities.  A  follow- 
up  letter  will  also  be  prepared  which  can 
be  sent  to  those  not  remitting  in  response 
to  the  circular  and  first  letter,  and  this 
second  letter  will  bring  in  a  large  pro- 


PRINCIPLES  OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


portion  of  those  who  fail  to  order  at 
first.  Sometimes  a  concession  in  price 
can  be  made  in  the  second  letter,  or  a 
premium  offered  to  those  who  remit  the 
regular  price  within  a  certain  specified 
time.  'You  can  readily  see  that  the  prof- 
its are  large  in  this  business  because  all 
that  is  sent  the  remitter  is  a  couple  of 
pages  of  typewritten  instructions,  and 
for  these  he  pays  one  or  two  dollars. 
But  in  order  to  get  enough  orders  to 
make  it  profitable,  the  literature  must  be 
written  up  in  the  very  strongest  style. 
This  literature  should  be  as  well  written 
as  a  good  financial  booklet,  or  corre- 
spondence school  literature;  in  fact,  it  is 
on  practically  the  same  basis  as  the  lat- 
ter. You  offer  to  instruct  those  inter- 
ested, and  to  do  so  at  a  comparatively 
low  price,  in  one  lesson.  There  are  no 
papers  for  you  to  correct,  or  further  in- 
structions for  you  to  give.  All  is  com- 
prehended in  the  one  form  letter. 

The  name  of  the  business  need  not  be 
given  in  all  cases,  but  the  proposition 
may  be  written  up  "blind,"  and  if  writ- 
ten in  the  right  way  can  be  made  equally 
plausible  and  convincing.  In  fact,  in  the 
case  of  some  business  propositions  this  is 
the  right  way  to  do,  as  telling  what  the 
business  is  gives  away  the  greatest 
value  that  exists  in  the  instructions,  as 
they  sometimes  consist  largely  of  point- 
ing out  a  new  opening  in  the  business 
world.  In  writing  up  this  class  of  lit- 
erature I  give  it  my  best  attention.  It  is 
well  written  and  as  strong  in  pulling 
powers  as  any  business  literature  being 
sent  out  If  you  get  this  scheme  litera- 
ture from  me,  you  may  be  sure  of  its 
paying  you  to  send  it  out  either  to  a  list 
of  those  who  have  answered  home  work, 
agency,  and  business  chance  ads,  or  to 
those  answering  your  own  ad,  copy  for 
which  I  include. 

In  this  scheme,  as  in  all  other  adver- 
tising, the  profits  depend  upon  the  pro- 
portion of  orders  received  from  the  vol- 
ume of  advertising  matter  sent  out  If 
this  scheme  were  written  up  in  poor 
shape,  there  would  be  no  profit,  but  a 
loss,  because  the  money  received  would 
not  serve  to  pay  expenses.  If  written  up 
fairly  well,  there  would  be  perhaps  a 
small  profit,  but  as  written  by  me  every 
possible  dollar  is  realized,  and  the  adver- 
tiser is  consequently  able  to  sell  such  an 
amount  .of  instructions  as  to  pay  hand- 
somely. 

There  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
people  in  this  country  anxious  to  better 
their  condition.  Large  numbers  of  these 


are  constantly  answering  advertisements 
which  offer  them,  at  least  seemingly,  a 
chance  to  do  this.  Any  scheme  which  I 
offer  you  will  enable  you  to  go  out  after 
these  people  with  a  proposition  which 
offers  them,  for  a  merely  nominal  sum, 
the  opportunity  to  make  much  more 
money  than  they  have  ever  been  able  to 
make  heretofore,  to  do  it  without  capi- 
tal, in  a  business  of  their  own,  and  with 
a  chance  of  acquiring  wealth.  All  this  is 
written  up  in  the  strongest  and  most 
convincing  manner.  The  arguments  used 
are  those  which  practical  experience  has 
shown  are  the  most  effective  in  appeal- 
ing to  this  class.  The  instructions  which 
I  prepare  and  which  you  send  out  to 
those  who  remit,  will  give  satisfaction  to 
those  receiving  them,  and  those  with  the 
ambition  and  energy  to  take  up  the  busi- 
ness will  be  able  to  make  goocl  money. 
The  instructions  sent  are  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  fulfill  every  promise  made  in 
the  advertising  literature,  so  this  propo- 
sition is  honest  and  legitimate  in  every 
respect 

I  am  a  specialist  in  legitimate  mail  or- 
der schemes  of  all  kinds.  I  know  what 
has  been  done  and  is  being  done.  I 
know  the  kind  of  schemes  that  pay  and 
the  kind  that  are  losers,  and  am  able  to 
analyze  them  so  as  to  discern  the  causes 
of  success  or  failure.  If  you  contem- 
plate launching  a  scheme  of  any  kind,  it 
will  pay  you  to  advise  with  a  man  who 
knows  the  field.  A  slight  change  in  your 
program  will  often  make  what  would 
have  been  "dropping  money  in  a  rat 
hole"  a  substantial  success.  Not  only 
must  the  plan  be  right,  but  the  literature 
exploiting  the  plan  must  be  written  in 
the  right  way,  the  right  arguments  must 
be  used,  and  they  must  be  presented  in  a 
manner  which  will  convince  the  class 
which  they  are  designed  to  reach.  Lit- 
erature which  would  convince  you  may 
not  be  exactly  the  thing  for  the  people 
to  whom  you  aim  to  sell  your  goods. 
All  points  must  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion when  writing  mail  order  literature. 

$25  FOR  A  SCHEME. 

Every  summer  while  the  advertising 
business  has  been  dull  I  spend  my  time 
in  considering  a  number  of  propositions 
that  might  be  profitably  worked  on  the 
mail  order  scheme  idea.  These  proposi- 
tions of  course  require  the  right  kind  of 
ads  and  literature  in  order  to  make  a 
success,  for  unless  they  are  written  up  in 
the  right  way  and  made  to  "pull,"  they 
will  not  work. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


59 


I  got  up  a  scheme  for  a  man  who  was 
foreman  in  the  Dixon  Pencil  Works.  He 
was  getting  $3  a  day  when  he  wrote  me. 
I  charged  him  $25  for  it,  the  same  as  I 
would  charge  you.  He  had  the  literature 
that  I  sent  him  printed,  placed  a  small 
ad  in  a  few  papers,  and  six  months 
afterward  he  had  given  up  his  position 
as  foreman  to  devote  his  entire  time  to 
the  mail  order  business,  as  he  is  making 
more  money  with  less  work  than  ever 
before  in  his  life.  What  I  have  done 
for  him  I  believe  I  can  also  do  for  you. 
If  you  are  one  of  the  numerous  class 
who  are  anxious  to  go  into  the  mail  or- 
der business,  but  do  not  know  just  what 
to  advertise,  here  is  an  opportunity  to 
get  a  scheme  that  will  pull,  with  the 
proper  literature  for  working  it  success- 
fully, for  a  nominal  sum. 

If  you  have  tried  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness and  did  not  make  a  success  of  it, 
the  reason  was  no  doubt  that  you  were 
not  advertising  in  the  right  way,  but  if 
you  can  have  the  assistance  of  an  expe- 
rienced advertising  man,  one  who  knows 
the  mail  order  business  from  A  to  Z, 
there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not 
make  money  at  it  the  same  as  hundreds 
of  others. 

Now  by  a  "scheme"  I  do  not  mean 
anything  dishonest  or  illegal,  but  a  plan, 
worked  out  arid  developed  according  to 
profitable  mail  order  methods.  Some  of 
the  schemes  that  I  have  in  view  require 
only  printed  matter  to  fill  orders,  and 
in  consequence  nearly  all  that  is  taken  in 
above  the  cost  of  the  advertising  is  clear 
profit. 

In  order  to  work  out  a  scheme  and 
give  you  the  best  results,  I  ought  to 
kno*. '  the  amount  of  capital  that  you 
have  at  your  command,  then  I  can  ar- 
range it  so  .that  you  can  work  something 
that  your  resources  will  allow  you  to 
handle.  If,  for  example,  you  are  able  to 
spend  but  a  small  amount  each  month  in 
advertising  space,  the  scheme  I  would 
get  up  for  you  would  be  to  advertise  to 
sell  information  with  which  the  party 
buying  it  can  make  money.  The  adver- 
tisement that  you  would  run  would  not 
go  into  particulars  as  to  what  the  busi- 
ness was,  being  for  the  purpose  of  bring- 
iner  replies  from  people  anxious  to  make 
money.  No  money  would  be  called  for 
in  the  advertisement,  as  such  procedure 
would  discourage  replies. 

You  have  undoubtedly  noticed  many 
of  the  small  ads  running  in  the  mail  or- 
der papers  and  see  them  going  on  month 


after  month.  The  natural  conclusion 
that  you  draw  is  that  such  schemes  must 
make  money  or  the  advertisements 
would  not  continue  to  run.  You  cannot 
help  but  believe  that  "somebody"  is  mak- 
ing money  in  the  mail  order  business, 
and  you  might  as  well  be  one  of  them  as 
not,  but  you  must  get  hold  of  a  good 
scheme  to  make  money  in  the  mail  order 
business  with  a  small  capital. 

If  you  are  already  running  a  mail  or- 
der business  there  would  be  no  harm  in 
running  one  of  these  paying  little 
schemes  as  a  side  issue.  The  proposition 
would  endeavor  to  get  a  dollar  from 
each  inquiry  by  means  of  the  pulling 
circular  you  would  send  them  when 
they  write  in.  You  would  tell  in  your 
circular  just  what  you 'would  give  them, 
which  would  be  information  whereby 
they  could  make  money.  Schemes  of 
this  kind  pull,  because  everybody  wants 
to  know  how  to  make  money  and  if  you 
can  present  the  proposition  with  forcible 
circular  matter  in  the  right  way  the 
scheme  will  pull.  This  I  know  from  ex- 
perience. Of  course  the  proposition 
would  have  to  be  gotten  up  in  attractive 
style,  and  the  imagination  must  be  ap- 
pealed to,  yet  the  truth  must  not  be 
stretched  too  much.  I  do  not  know  of 
a  better  way  for  a  man  with  small  cap- 
ital to  get  successfully  started  in  the 
mail  order  business  than  to  operate  a 
scheme  of  this  kind.  All  the  money  tak- 
en in  is  clear  profit,  as  it  only  requires 
printed  matter  to  fill  the  orders,  and  the 
only  expense  is  advertising  and  printing 
— no  goods  to  carry  in  stock. 

If  you  have  a  large  capital  and  want  to 
spend  several  thousand  dollars,  I  could 
get  you  up  something  on  a  bigger  scale, 
which  from  experience  should  pay  out. 
I  am  constantly  in  touch  with  all  kinds 
of  mail  order  advertising,  and  most  of 
my  present  clients  are  those  whose  entire 
business  has  been  conceived  and  success- 
fully developed  by  my  efforts. 

The  scheme  I  furnish  will  be  con- 
structed for  you  only  and  will  be  entire- 
ly made  to  order.  Let  me  know  your 
resources,  etc.,  and  I  will  do  the  rest. 
My  principal  reason  in  getting  up  these 
schemes  is  to  develop  more  business  for 
my  agency.  I  know  what  kinds  of  mail 
order  business  will  pay  to  advertise  and 
those  are  the  kind  I  want  to  handle. 
There  are  dozens  of  neople  who  have  the 
money  to  put  into  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness, but  do  not  know  how  or  what  to 
advertise. 


6o 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


I  will  outline  a  scheme  for  you  and 
furnish  you  the  necessary  ad,  circular, 
list  of  papers,  etc.,  and  follow-up  circu- 
lar letters  for  $25.  The  scheme  that  I 
sell  you  will  be  entirely  constructed  for 
you  only,  as  it  is  entirely  made  to  order. 
If  you  will  send  me  $25  you  can  get  a 
mail  order  scheme  that  you  can  back_  to 
win,  as  it  is  based  on  my  observation 
and  experience  of  what  will  pull  in  the 
mail  order  business. 

If  any  articles  are  used  in  connection 
with  any  of  my  schemes,  I  oj:  course  give 
you  full  information  as  to  where  they 
may  be  obtained  the  cheapest,  and,  in 
fact,  furnish  you  with  full  and  complete 
details  for  running  the  business,  all  for 
$25. 

This  is  a  chance  that  will  not  often 
come  to  those  who  want  to  get  in  the 
mail  order  business  and  stand  a  chance 
to  succeed  and  make  money.  If  you  are 
not  yet  in  the  mail  order  business  and 
want  to  be,  write  at  once  and  send  $25. 
Remember  this  includes  full  instructions 
and  all  of  the  necessary  descriptive  and 
follow-up  circular  matter  in  order  to  get 
the  money. 

The  price  about  pays  the  cost  of  get- 
ting up  the  advertisement  and  literature, 


with  a  very  small  remuneration  for  the 
idea.  It  will  be  written  up  entirely  for 
you.  Whether  you  are  prepared  to  go 
into  the  mail  order  business  on  a  big 
scale  or  a  small  one,  you  must  have  a 
good  proposition  to  win  out. 

If  this  proposition  interests  you  it  is 
not  necessary  to  write  for  further  par- 
ticulars. There  is  no  further  information 
that  I  could  give  you  except  to  repeat 
in  different  languages  what  has  already 
been  expressed  here.  Any  scheme  I 
would  work  up  for  you  would  be  strict- 
ly honest  and  legitimate,  also  one  capable 
of  almost  endless  development  and  could 
be  worked  year  in  and  year  out.  I  can- 
not tell  what  the  scheme  would  be  until 
I  receive  the  order  to  get  it  up.  You  are 
buying  brains  and  to  describe  the  scheme 
would  be  to  tell  what  it  is.  The  twenty- 
five  dollars  you  send  is  a  small  item  com- 
pared with  the  business  I  will  get  in 
placing  your  advertising,  if  it  is  a  suc- 
cess, and  my  sole  object  in  offering  to 
get  up  a  scheme 'is  simply  to  develop 
more  business  and  to  get  in  touch  with 
those  who  are  anxious  to  win  out  in  the 
mail  order  business,  and  have  the  money 
to  invest,  but  who  do  not  know  just  how 
to  proceed. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


61 


CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Trust  Scheme. 


Tha  trust  scheme  business  has  been 
worked  very  successfully  by  a  large 
number  of  advertisers,  and  although 
some  seem  to  think  that  the  business  is 
overdone,  there  is  still  plenty  of  money 
to  be  made  by  an  advertiser  who  will 
get  up  something  new  and  original  in 
the  way  of  a  scheme  or  who  will  work 
the  old  schemes  with  a  greater  degree  of 
persistency. 

It  is  customary  to  offer  in  the  adver- 
tisement some  premium  which  .may  be 
earned  in  a  simple  way  by  selling  a  cer- 
tain number  of  articles  for  the  adver- 
tiser. 


George  Clark 

WILL  GIVE  YOU 
THIS    RING 

Solid  Gold  finished,  set  with 
Rubles  and  Pearls,  >  REE 
for  selling  4  of  BIT  large  Art 
Picture!  at  the  reduced  price 
of  25  cents.  AU  diferentr  ffo 
trouble  to  sell  these  picture!, 
__  _  |  they  are  handsome  art  produc- 

tions,  done  in  10  to  17  colors,  originals  costing  200  to  600  dollars. 

The  firstiour  you  meetwillgladlytake  them  at  25  cents  to  help 

you  win  tho  premium.    The  Ring  guaranteed  worth  many  timn 

this  small  service,  but  want  to  introduce  my  pictures  at  once. 

Send  No  .71  onr  y  in  ad  yanee.  I  trait  you  and  will  send  the  ploWwes  repr*. 

tenting  four  different  and  beautiful  icenei,  all  charges  paid.    Immediately. 

ttEO.CLARK,agr.H.P.t».,63  WashinBtonSU.DepCiS  CbJc*|W 


In  the  advertisement  herewith  shown, 
which  I  constructed  for  a  Chicago  ad- 
vertiser, the  advertiser  offers  a  very 
handsome  and  attractive  ring  to  those 
who  will  sell  four  of  his  pictures.  He 
sends  the  pictures  to  anybody  who  will 
answer  the  advertisement  without  ex- 
acting any  money  in  advance.  Although 
this  may  appear  a  reckless  way  of  do- 
ing business,  the  advertiser  guards  him- 
self by  having  the  goods  sent  out  in  this 
way  cost  him  a  very  small  per  cent  of 
the  value  placed  upon  them.  In  this 
way  he  can  afford  to  lose  even  as  high 
as.  50  per  cent  of  the  goods  sent  out  and 
still  be  able  to  make  a  profit. 

REQUIRES  PATIENCE. 

I  would  not  advise  any  one  to  go  into 
the  trust  scheme  unless  they  were  pos- 
sessed of  considerable  patience  and  were 
willing  to  see  all  their  money  go  out  for 


the  first  few  weeks  before  any  of  it  com- 
menced to  come  back. 

Articles  to  offer  in  your  trust  scheme 
business  may  consist  of  jewelry,  such 
as  stick  pins,  beauty  pins,  aluminum 
thimbles,  perfume  tablets,  headache 
powders,  corn  plasters,  laxative  pills, 
etc.  In  fact,  almost  any  small,  cheap 
article  that  has  a  wide  demand  may  be 
used.  It  should  be  light  in  weight  and 
mailed  at  a  small  cost. 

SUPPLY    HOUSES. 

Small  articles  of  jewelry  suitable  to 
offer  your  agents  to  sell  may  be  bought 
from  I.  M.  Bach,  109  E.  Randolph  street, 
Chicago,  wholesale  manufacturers  of 
jewelry  for  the  trust  scheme  and  mail 
order  business.  Pictures,  family  memo- 
rials, etc.,  are  also  excellent  sellers  in  a 
trust  scheme  business  of  this  kind  and 
may  be  had  from  James  Lee,  134  Van 
Buren  street,  Chicago.  Articles  to  offer 
as  premiums  for  selling  the  goods  may 
be  had  from  I.  M.  Bach,  who  has  a  line 
of  air  guns,  cameras,  rings,  watches,  etc. 
Mr.  Bach  handles  low-priced  watches 
and  a  number  of  other  articles.  In  mak- 
ing up  your  catalogue,  you  would  prob- 
ably find  it  to  advantage  to  write  to  all 
of  the  parties  named. 

REACH  BOYS  AND  GIRLS. 

Those  who  will  be  interested  in  your 
offer  are  boys  and  girls.  To  reach  them 
the  best  mediums  are  the  cheap  monthly 
story  papers.  Your  advertisement  should 
have  an  illustration  of  the  article  and 
should  be  gotten  up  in  attractive  shape 
on  the  order  of  the  advertisement  which 
is  herewith  shown.  The  premium  cata- 
logue which  you  will  have  will  contain 
other  articles  that  they  could  also  earn 
by  selling  more  or  less  of  your  goods. 
The  more  valuable  the  premiums,  of 
course,  the  more  goods  you  would  re- 
quire them  to  sell. 

The  trust  scheme  really  consists  in 
your  selling  them  a  ring  or  some  other 
article,  but  instead  of  paying  for  it  with 
their  own  money  they  go  around  and 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


get  the  neighbors  to  chip  in  five  or  ten 
cents  each  by  offering  them  some  tottle 
article. 

Experience  has  proven  that  a  small 
advertisement  for,  the  trust  scheme  busi- 
ness pays  better  in  proportion  than  a  big 
one,  that  is  it  costs  much  less  per  reply, 
but,  of  course,  if  you  wish  to  do  a  big 
volume  of  business  you  would  have  to 
use  a  big  advertisement  in  order  to  get 
the  volume  of  replies.  So  do  not  be 
alarmed  at  the  advertisements  of  firms 
who  are  using  big  space,  as  there  is 
plenty  of  room  in  the  trust  scheme  busi- 
ness for  the  small  advertiser. 

The  descriptive  matter  for  each  pre- 
mium that  you  will  use,  you  can  take 
from  the  manufacturer's  catalogue  and 
most  of  the  manufacturers  of  premium 
goods  will  also  loan  you  electrotypes  or 
will  furnish  them  at  a  very  low  cost. 

You  will  also  need  a  series  of  follow- 
up  letters,  as  those  who  answer -your 
advertisement  do  not  sell  the  goods  at 
once  and  send  in  the  money,  but  have 
to  be  followed  up — "dunned" — at  fre- 
quent intervals,  and  about  one-half  of 
those  who  send  in  for  the  goods  will 
not  respond  at  all.  Whether  it  is  dis- 
honesty or  carelessness  that  is'  the  cause 
of  this  condition  in  the  trust  scheme 
business,  I  will  not  attempt  to  state,  but 
that  is  the  condition  which  confronts 
trust  scheme  advertisers.  You  must 
arrange  your  plan  so  as  not  to  suffer 
any  actual  loss  on  the  whole  amount  of 
business  you  do. 

In  going  into  the  trust  scheme  busi- 
ness, you  will  probably  find  it  of  ad- 
vantage to  place  yourself  under  the 
guidance  of  an  advertising  agent,  who 
would  afford  a  substantial  aid  to  you  in 
selecting  the  proper  papers  for  your  ad- 
vertisement and  in  compiling  your  cir- 
cular letters  and  follow-up  system. 

SOME  HINTS. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  try  to  sell  goods 
by  the  trust  scheme  plan  that  the  agents 
themselves  can  readily  use  up.  This  is 
the  objection  against  using  gum,  cough 
drops  or  confections  of  any  kind.  The 
temptation  to  use  the  goods  up,  or  to 
divide  them  with  their  friends,  will  prove 
too  strong  for  many  of  those  who  order 
the  articles.  In  the  case  of  medicines, 
corn  plasters,  jewelry,  etc.,  if  the  goods 
are  not  sold  and  paid  for,  in  many  cases 
persistent  follow-up  letters  will  secure 
the  return  of  the  goods  or  such  portion 
of  them  as  has  not  been  sold. 


It  is  usually  wiser  to  send  out  goods 
that  will  be  purchased  by  women  rathe,r 
than  by  children.  Grown-up  people 
have  more  money  than  boys  and  girls, 
and  in  most  cases  a  woman  will  buy  an 
article  from  a  neighbor's  child,  espe- 
cially if  it  is  anything  she  can  use,  S4ie 
will  do  this  to  help  the  child  secure  the 
premium  rather  than  from  any  particular 
desire  for  the  goods,  so  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  try  to  give  as  great  value  as 
given  by  retail  stores  when  selling  sim- 
ilar goods.  But,  of  course,  it  is  well  to 
have  the  goods  make  as  attractive  ap- 
pearance as  possible — it  will  help  sales. 

If  the  goods  sell  readily,  and  the  agent 
can  quickly  dispose  of  them  he  will  or- 
dinarily remit  and  secure  the  premium. 
But  if  the  agent  sells  only  one  or  two 
articles,  after  calling  upon  a  dozen  or  so 
people,  he  is  likely  to  become  discour- 
aged, and  to  drop  the  matter.  If  a  boy 
or  girl  once  loses  interest  and  enthusi- 
asm, it  is  hard  to  start  him  or  her  go- 
ing again. 

KEEP   DOWN   EXPENSES. 

If  the  trust  scheme  is  to  be  profitably 
conducted,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
keep  down  expenses,  and  to  allow  a 
large  enough  margin  of  profit  to  make 
good  the  losses  that  must  be  expected  as 
a  surety.  The  goods  should 'be  very  in- 
expensive. Those  articles  which  are  to 
retail  at  ten  cents  each  should  not  cost 
over  one  dollar  to  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents  per  gross.  Stick  pins,  medicines, 
sachet  powders,  frozen  perfumes,  etc., 
can  be  purchased  at  this  price. 

The  goods  should  be  light  in  weight 
so  that  the  postage  will  be  as  small  an 
item  as  possible.  The  one  thing  in 
which  the  advertiser  should  not  spare 
any  reasonable  expense  is  in  devising  his 
follow-up  literature. 

Good  follow-up  literature,  if  the  busi- 
ness is  started  on  a  sound  basis,  will 
assure  the  success  of  the  business. 

THE    LITERATURE. 

It  is  the  general  custom  to  offer  a 
leader  in  the  advertisement  as  a  pre- 
mium, and  then  to  enclose  a  catalogue 
or  circulars  of  other  premiums  for  sell- 
ing the  same  amount  of  goods  or  a 
greater  number  of  the  articles.  Some- 
times, however,  a  larger  ad  is  used,  and 
a  number  of  the  premiums  are  described 
and  illustrated  in  the  newspaper  ad.  In 
either  case  a  circular  or  catalogue  is  en- 
closed with  the  shipment,  in  which  the 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


premiums  offered  are  described  at  great- 
er length.  The  premiums  should  be  de- 
scribed and  illustrated  in  a  very  at- 
tractive manner.  It  should  be  the  aim 
of  the  advertiser  to  get  the  agents  in 
such  a  state  of  mind  that  they  will  want 
the  premiums,  .  and  want  them  badly. 
This  will  assure  their  starting  in  the  at- 
tempt to  sell  the  goods  with  energy  and 
enthusiasm.  This,  too,  will  make  them 
more  likely  to  remit  when  they  have 
sold  the  goods,  because  they  will  prefer 
the  premium  to  the  money  or  anything 
they  can  buy  with  it. 

^Sometimes  a  form  letter  is  sent  along 
with  the  circular  and  the  goods ;  at 
others,  all  that  would  be  said  in  the 
letter  is  included  in  the  circular  matter. 
In  either  instance  those  who  do  not  re- 
mit promptly,  within  ten  days  or  two 
weeks,  should  be  followed  up  with  a 
mild  dunning  letter. 

Some  trust  scheme  operators  make  a 
practice  of  offering  a  small  additional 
premium  for  prompt  remittance.  This 
may  be  done  either  in  the  circular,  the 
form  letter  accompanying  the  circular 
and  shipment,  or  in  the  first  follow-up 
letter.  This  premium  may  be  illustrated 
and  described,  or  it  may  be  simply 
stated  that  a  lovely  piece  of  jewelry  will 
be  given. 

The  first  dunning  letter  should  be 
comparatively  mild,  the  second  should  be 
more  urgent — both,  however,  assuming 
the  agent's  honesty  and  intention  to  ulti- 
mately remit.  The  third  letter  should 
be  a  threat — it  is  not  well  to  have  it  too 
threatening  in  tone,  because  the  depart- 
ment has  recently  ruled  some  dunning 
letters  of  this  class  could  not  go  through 
the  mails.  A  letter  can  be  written, 
which  will  contain  an  implied  threat 
which  will  be  equally  efficient,  and  which 
will  not  be  held  up  by  the  postal  au- 
thorities. Sometimes  three  letters  are 
sent  bearing  the  advertiser's  address, 
and  then  at  last  one  purporting  to  come 
from  a  detective  or  collection  agency. 
At  other  times  the  third  letter  is  from 
such  an  agency.  Other  advertisers  do 
all  their  dunning  under  their  own 
names. 

It  is  customary  to  send  a  return  pos- 
tal or*  mailing  card  with  the  third  let- 
ter— on  this  postal  the  agent  is  invited  to 
answer  certain  questions  regarding  the 
amount  of  goods  sold,  and  to  say  when 
he  intends  to  remit.  Sometimes'  a  few 
days'  grace,  and  the  extra  premium  still, 
are  offered  to  those  who  answer  on  this 


postal.  It  may  be  accepted  as  a  general 
rule  that  those  who  ignore  the  request 
for  a  reply  when  a  postal  is  sent  with 
blanks  for  such  a  reply,  do  not  intend  to 
remit. 

DELINQUENTS. 

All  delinquents  do  not  intend  to  be 
dishonest  when  sending  for  the  goods.. 
Some  of  them  sell  part  of  the  articles, 
and  then  lose  or  spend  the  money,  often- 
times meaning  to  replace  it.  But  money 
is  scarce  and  their  parents  poor,  so  they 
cannot  raise  the  amount.  In  other  in- 
stances, they  fail  to  sell  the  goods,  and 
the  articles  are  lost  or  used  as  play- 
things until  they  are  worthless. 

There  is  a  class  of  people,  however, 
who  have  made  a  practice  of  cheating 
trust  scheme  operators  in  a  wholesale 
manner.  These  "ringers"  not  only  send 
orders  to  every  consignment  firm  whose 
ad  appears,  but  some  of  them  make  a 
practice  of  ordering  several  consign- 
ments from  the  same  firm,  using  differ- 
ent names.  The  south  is  the  poorest 
field  in  which  to  make  collections,  and 
many  advertisers  use  considerable  dis- 
crimination in  filling  orders  from  that 
section.  Some  throw  out  orders  which 
show  evidence  of  being  from  very  illit- 
erate people;  others  do  not  fill  postal 
card  orders.  When  an  advertiser  has 
received  a  great  »any  orders  from  the 
same  locality,  from  which  he  has  re- 
ceived no  returns,  it  is  well  to  scrutinize 
such  orders  and  all  others  coming  from 
that  section  closely — it  may  be  that  one 
person,  or  several  of  them  working  to- 
gether, are  receiving  all  the  goods.  Of 
course,  consignment  firms  selling  high- 
class  goods  are  more  likely  to  be  the 
victims  of  such  thieves. 

Despite  such  losses,  the  trust  scheme 
is  a  very  profitable  branch  of  the  mail 
order  trade.  Several  men  starting  with 
little  or  no  capital  have  accumulated 
good-sized  fortunes  in  a  few  years.  Just 
as  good  opportunities  are  open  to  the  ad- 
vertiser as  when  the  scheme  was  first 
launched,  if  he  w'll  but  offer  some- 
thing new  in  the  way  of  goods  or  pre- 
miums, or  use  an  advertisement  which 
is  stronger  in  its  pulling  qualities  than 
the  general  run. 

The  advertiser  should  figure  a  liberal 
margin  for  losses,  and  then  try  to  make 
his  follow-up  literature  so  effective  that 
he  will  suffer  much  less  from  such 
losses  than  his  figures  enable  him  to  do 


64 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


and  still  make  a  good  profit.  In  this 
way  he  will  be  able  to  make  a  large 
profit. 

HIGH-CLASS  GOODS. 

Though  most  trust  scheme  operators 
use  ten-cent  articles,  and  give  premiums 
which  appeal  to  boys  and  girls,  this  is 
not  the  only  class  of  trust  scheme.  There 
are  other  advertisers  who  send  out  a 
few  25c  articles,  instead  of  the  greater 
number  of  loc  articles.  Then  other  ad- 
vertisers sell  standard  articles  by  this 
method — soaps,  perfumes,  extracts,  bak- 
ing powders,  etc.,  and  give  high-class 
premiums  which  will  appeal  to  men  and 
women. 

Furniture,  house  furnishings,  clothing, 
watches,  are  often  used  as  premiums. 
This  sort  of  an  offer  will  attract  more 
women  than  men,  and  the  premiums 
should  be  selected  accordingly.  It  is 
customary  to  ask  for  reference  when 
sending  a  valuable  shipment  of  high- 
class  articles  on  consignment. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  carry  the  pre- 
miums in  stock,  when  operating  a  trust 
scheme.  Arrangements  can  be  made  so 
that  they  can  be  shipped  direct  from  the 
manufacturer  or  wholesaler.  This  is  ad- 
visable in  case  of  costly  premiums,  es- 
pecially if  the  advertiser  is  operating  on 
small  capital. 

FOLLOW-UP  REMITTANCES. 

When  an  agent  makes  quick  sales  and 
prompt  remittance  he  has  proved  him- 
self the  kind  of  agent  you  are  looking 
for,  and  you  should  make  the  effort  to 
have  him  order  again  and  secure  other 
articles  as  premiums. 

Ship  his  premium  promptly,  and  see 
that  it  is  in  good  condition,  also  send 
a  courteous  letter,  thanking  him  for 
prompt  remittance,  praising  his  ability 
to  make  sales  and  asking  if  he  does  not 
want  to  secure  some  other  premium  in 
the  same  way.  You  may  work  up  a 
profitable  little  business  in  this  manner. 
A  good  agent  is  a  gold  mine  to  the  mail 
order  dealer. 

CIRCULAR  LETTERS. 

Here  are  a  feV  suggestions  for  "fol- 
low-up" circular  letters,  after  the  con- 
signment of  goods  have  been  sent  out 
and  no  responses  received: 


LETTER  NO.   I. 

This  should  be  sent  out  in  about 
twenty  days  after  the  agent  has  sent 
for  the  goods  and  failed  to  make  re- 
turns. 

Esteemed  Friend : — We  are  greatly 
disappointed  not  to  have  heard  from  you 
after  the  ten  days  expired.  You  know 
we  specially  requested  you  to  do  so. 

The  goods  we  mailed  you  are  of  such 
high  quality  that  they  almost  sell  them- 
selves. All  you  have  to  do  is  to  show 
them  and  most  people  will,  in  almost 
every  instance,  buy. 

In  order  to  give  you  an  opportunity 
to  earn  the  handsome  present  of  your 
selection  we  have  extended  the  time  to 
thirty  days;  this,  however,  is  positively 
the  limit. 

If  at  the  end  of  thirty  days  from  the 
time  you  received  the  merchandise  you 
have  been  unable  to  sell  all,  you  must 
return  to  us  what  you  have  left,  to- 
gether with  the  money  you  have  ob- 
tained for  the  goods  sold.  We  will 
then,  immediately  upon  the  receipt  of 
the  money,  forward  to  you  the  premium 
you  select  from  our  premium  list  ac- 
cording to  the  amount  you  have  sold. 

Should  it  prove  necessary  at  the  end 
of  thirty  days  for  you  to  return  goods 
to  us,  simply  make  a  package  of  the 
same,  tie  a  string  around  them  securely, 
and  write  your  name  on  -the  outside  of 
the  package  in  the  left  hand  corner,  so 
we  can  tell  who  the  package  is  from. 
Do  not  seal  the  package  or  place  any 
writing  inside,  as  it  is  against  the  postal 
laws.  We  would,  however,  advise  you 
to  try  your  best  to  sell  all  before  the 
thirty  days  are  up.  Make^  a  special  ef- 
fort to  do  so,  as  the  premiums  you  will 
receive  are  of  such  meritorious  quality 
that  your  efforts  to  do  so  will  be  well 
repaid. 

Hoping  to  hear  from  you  in  a  few 
days,  we  remain. 

Truly  yours. 


LETTER   NO.  2. 

Should  this  "letter  fail  to  bring  a  re- 
sponse you  next  send  them,  at  the  ex- 
piration of  twenty  days  more,*  letter 
No.  2: 

Believing  you  to  be  an  honest  person, 
in  whom  we  could  place  the  utmost  con- 
fidence, we  mailed  to  you  on  consign- 
ment $ worth  of  our  merchandise, 

with  the  distinct  understanding  that  you 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


should  return  to  us  our  money  within 
thirty  days  from  the  day 'you  received 
the  goods,  and  as  we  have  written  you 
before  about  this  matter  and  not  re- 
ceived a  reply,  we  now  demand  Money 
or  Goods. 

We  have  given  you  plenty  of  time  in 
which  to  sell  the  goods,  as  they  are  fast 
sellers.  Many  of  our  agents  write  that 
they  have  sold  them  in  two  or  three 
hours.  We,  therefore,  know  if  you  have 
not  been  able  to  sell  the  goods  in  the 
liberal  time  we  have  allowed  you,  you 
cannot  sell  them  at  all,  and  request  you 
will  return  them  to  us  at  once.  If,  how- 
ever, you  have  sold  some  of  the  mer- 
chandise, return  to  us  those  you  have 
not  sold,  and  the  money  for  what  you 
have  sold,  and  we  will  send  to  you  a 
handsome  present  of  our  own  selection 
for  your  efforts  by  return  mail.  Should 
you  prefer  cash  as  your  reward  we  will 
allow  you  four  cents  on  every  ten  cents 
you  have  obtained.  We  have  certainly 
acted  fair  with  you  and  we  expect  you 
to  treat  us  likewise.  We  trust  you  will 
not  .compel  us  to  use  harsher  means  of 
collection,  as  that  would  make  more  ex- 
pense for  you  and  reflect  on  your  good 
name  as  well. 

When  you  receive  one  of  our  hand- 
some presents  you  will  surely  try  for 
another,  as  the  presents  we  give  to  our 
agents  for  so  little  work  are  simply  as- 
tonishing. 

Awaiting  your  early  reply  and  thank- 
ing you  for  your  efforts,  with  the  hope 
to  yet  do  a  large  business  with  you,  we 
remain,  Yours  truly, 

GERMANIA   MFG.    CO. 

P.  S. — Remember  we  mean  business 
and  must  hear  from  you  within  the  next 
five  days. 

A   COLLECTION    LETTER. 

The  above  letters,  of  course,  could  be 
considerably  improved  upon,  but  are 
about  up  to  the  average.  As  a  last  re- 
sort it  is  customary  to  send  out  a  letter, 
purporting  to  emanate  from  a  collection 
agency,  which  agency,  of  course,  is  the 
advertiser  under  another  name. 

Some  few  weeks  ago  you  received  no- 
tice from  the  " 

requesting  you  to  return  the  goods  you 
received  on  consignment,  and  as  you 
have  not  yet  complied  with  the  request, 
the  said  company  has  placed  the  bills, 

amounting  to  $ ,  in  our 

hands  for  immediate  collection. 


The  amount  is  so  trifling  that  we  can- 
not believe  that  you  intentionally  over- 
looked paying  it,  and  we  trust  that  with 
this  reminder  you  will  promptly  settle 
your  accounts  in  full  by  returning  the 
goods  or  paying  for  them  at  once,  thus 
saving  us  the  painful  necessity  of  taking 
legal  action  against  you,  a  move  which 
we  are  as  anxious  to  avoid  as  you. 

You  received  the  goods  on  consign- 
ment, that  is,  the  goods  were  mailed  to 
you  at  your  request  without  money 
down.  It  was  understood  between  you 
and  the  above  named  company  that  you 
were  to  sell  the  goods  and  return  the 
money  within  thirty  days  and  receive  a 
handsome  premium  for  your  trouble  or 
else  return  the  goods.  It  is  against  the 
laws  of  vour  state  to  order  goods  on 
consignment  and  sell  them  and  not  re- 
turn the  money  or  keep  the  goods  with- 
out paying  for  them,  and  we  therefore 
request  that  you  settle  your  account  with 
the  aforesaid  company  at  once.  If  this 
request  is  not  complied  with  within  ten 
davs  from  the  day  you  receive  this  letter, 
we  will  ask  our  lawyer  at  your  county 
seat  to  bring  legal  action  in  regular 
court  form  and  prosecute  to  the  full 
extent  of  the  statutes  of  your  state  laws, 
which  as  your  own  lawyer  will  tell  you 
are  severe;  but  it  is  our  business  to  get 
people  to  settle  their  accounts  and  we 
must  be  persistent  in  your  case  also. 
Do  not  ask  for  further  time. 

The  company  we  represent  is  a  re- 
liable and  liberal  concern,  but  even  their 
patience  will  exhaust  some. time.  They 
pay  us  to  collect  what  belongs  to  them 
and  we  shall  use  every  means  to  do  so. 

We  never  make  a  second  request  for 
settlement,  so  be  governed  accordingly 
and  act  promptly. 

Yours  very  truly, 

CO-OPERATIVE  COLLECTION 
AGENCY. 

There  is  no  law  to  prevent  you  from 
making  any  threats  you  please  in  re- 
gard to  the  things  you  will  do  to  your 
agents  in  case  they  fail  to  "settle  up." 
It  would  be  well,  however,  to  have  your 
letter  gone  over  by  one  who  has  had 
experience  in  the  matter,  so  that  you 
will  not  get  it  too  "strong." 

TRUST    SCHEME    SUGGESTIONS. 

Trust  scheme  advertising  does  not  cut 
so  large  a  figure  in  the  mail  order  pa- 
pers as  it  did  two  or  three  years  ago. 
Many  of  the  consignment  firms  that 


66 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


formerly  were  using  large  space  have 
pulled  out.  This  leaves  all  the  better 
field  for  the  dealer  who  wishes  to  ad- 
vertise with  smaller  space. 

All  along  it  has  been  true  that  a  well- 
written  small  trust  scheme  ad  would 
pull  replies  at  a  lower  figure  than  would 
those  occupying  from  one-fourth  page 
to  a  page  space.  With  less  competition, 
the  small  dealer  should  be  able  to  get 
a  still  larger*  volume  of  replies  from 
his  ad. 

But  the  ad  should  be  attractive  and 
offer  a  desirable  premium,  and  make 
favorable  terms.  The  premium  is  the 
thing.  It  should  be  something  that  the 
readers  of  the  mail  order  papers  want, 
and  it  should  look  good  value  at  the 
price  the  goods  sell  for. 

The  goods  to  be  sold  can  be  low- 
priced — still  have  them  as  attractive  as 
possible,  consistent  with  economy.  A 
large  proportion  of  those  who  purchase 
five  or  ten-cent  articles  from  boys  and 
girls,  do  so  more  with  the  intention  of 
helping  the  children  obtain  the  premium 
than  because  they  want  the  goods. 

If  the  premiums  are  as  advertised 
and  give  satisfaction,  many  of  those 
who  have  sold  the  goods  and  obtained 
one  premium,  will  be  willing  to  try  for 
another.  These  agents  can  be  relied 
upon  to  a  greater  extent  than  those 
that  the  advertiser  knows  nothing  about. 
If  remittance  is  made  by  the  agent, 
promptly  and  in  full,  once,  he  is  very 


likely  to  prove  honest  and  business-like 
the  second  time. 

Although  it  is  very  desirable  that  an 
attractive  premium  should  be  selected  it 
is  of  even  more  importance  that  this 
premium  should  be  attractively  de- 
scribed— not  only  in  the  advertisement, 
in  order  to  get  the  people  to  send  for 
the  goods  to  sell,  but  in  the  literature 
sent  along  with  the  goods.  The  more 
attractively  the  premiums  are  illustrat- 
ed and  described,  the  greater  will  be 
the  desire  of  the  agent  to  receive  the 
one  ,he  wishes  most.  He  will  be  more, 
likely  to  sell  the  goods  quickly  and  re- 
mit for  them  promptly.  Good  descrip- 
tive matter  sent  with  the  consignment 
will  greatly  help  in  cutting  down  the 
proportion  of  delinquents.  It  should 
be  the  aim  of  the  advertiser  to  have  the 
descriptive  matter  so  convincingly  writ- 
ten that  those  who  receive  it  will  want 
the  goods,  or  fhe  money  for  which 
they  can  be  sold. 

Many  trust  scheme  operators  have 
failed  because  of  the  large  number  of 
agents  from  whom  it  is  impossible  to 
make  collections.  Such  losses  should 
be  figured  on  in  shaping  up  the  scheme. 
The  advertiser  should  select  such  goods 
and  such  premiums,  as  will  allow  him 
a  good  margin  of  profit  even  though 
half  the  claims  are  uncollected.  This  is 
supposing  that  cheap  goods  are  sold 
through  boy  and  girl  agents.  Where 
soaps  and  baking  powders  are  sold 


BIG  DOLL 

and  Complete 
KITCHEN  SET 


This  bisque  doll  is  nearly 
half  a  yard  tall,  is  beautifully 
dressed  in  satins  and  laces,  closes 

and  opens  its  eyes,  has  shoes  and  stockings  that  can  be  taken  off  and 
is  one  of  the  best  dolls  ever  offered  as  a  premium.  The  kitchen  set 
consists  of  a  complete  set  of  finely  finished  kitchen  utensils  just  the  right 
size  for  dolly.  Send  us  you*  name  and  address  today  and  we  will  send 
you  six  of  our  beautiful  multi-colored  art  pictures  to  sell  at  25c  each. 
Everybody  will  buy  one  or  more  pictures  from  you  as  they  measure  I6x 
2O  inches  and  are  just  suitable  for  framing.  It  will  only  take  you  a  few 
minutes  to  sell  the  six  pictures.  When  sold,  send  us  the  $1.50  and  we  will 
send  you  both  the  Doll  and  Kitchen  Set  at  once  exactly  as  described.  Re- 
member we  give  you  not  one  but  both  premiums  for  selling  only  six 
pictures.  Write  today.  MYER  ART  CO.,  Dept.  10O,  Chicago,  III. 

An  example  of  a  trust  scheme  advertisement  that  is  a  good  "puller"  during  the  fall  and  before 
Christmas, 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


67 


through  men  and  women  agents,  refer- 
ences can  be  required,  and  other  pre- 
cautions taken  which  will  reduce  the 
risks. 

No  matter  how  good  the  descriptive 
matter  may  be,  however,  there  will  be 
a  large  number  of  delinquents,  and  to 
bring  these  to  time  good  follow-up  let- 
ters are  required.  The  advertiser  should 
not  wait  too  long  before  sending  out 
the  first  of  these.  It  is  customary  to 
give  the  agent  ten  days  in  which  to 
sell  the  goods  and  remit  the  money. 
If  the  remittance  is  not  received 
promptly  on  the  date  set,  he  should  be 
prodded.  The  first  letter  should  not  be 
harsh — merely  a  gentle  reminder,  which 
assumes  the  agent's  perfect  honesty. 
The  second  letter  should  be  stronger, 
and  ask  an  immediate  reply.  The  third 
letter  should  be  very  fierce  and  make 
threats  that  will  bring  the  debtor  to 
time,  if  any  letter  will  do  it. 

A  good  set  of  letters  means  much  to 
the  trust  scheme  man.  Unless  he  can 
collect  the  right  proportion  of  his  ac- 
counts, he  is  in  the  hole.  Only  by  using 
the  strongest  possible  letters  can  he 
hope  to  bring  all  the  delinquents  that  it 
is  possible  to  influence  to  account.  Many 
trust  scheme  men  have  failed  to  make 
the  business  pay  because  their  letters 
were  too  weak. 

A  consideration  that  should  not  be 
lost  sight  of  in  putting  out  a  trust 
scheme  ad  is  that  the  premium  should 
not  only  be  described,  but  in  many  in- 
stances, the  ad  should  strive  to  waken 
a  desire  for  it  in  the  minds  of  readers. 
Thus,  a  New  York  trust  scheme  opera- 
tor is  offering  a  punching  bag  as  a 
premium.  It  is  probable  that  a  certain 
proportion  of  the  boy  readers  of  the  ad 
are  not  familiar  with  the  bag  and  its 
.uses.  Therefore,  the  ad  should  tell  the 
benefit  of  this  form  of  exercise,  men- 
tion that  all  fighters  use  it  in  their 
training,  that  it  quickens  the  eye,  and 
makes  the  user  faster  with  his  fists  and 
on  his  feet.  That  it  is  the  very  best 
form  of  exercise,  etc. 

There  are  lots  of  people  still  willing 
to  earn  what  they  desire  by  selling 
goods.  Advertisers  who  will  adopt  cor- 
rect business  methods,  offer  the  right 
premiums  and  use  the  right  literature, 
can  make  money  in  this  field. 


THE  MAIL  ORDER  PREMIUM 
BUSINESS. 

The  Mail  Order  Premium  Business  is 
an  aristocratic  relative  of  the  "coupon 
in  every  package"  premium  scheme  now 
used  almost  universally  by  manufactur- 
ers of  what  are  known  as  "package 
goods,"  particularly  those  who  advertise 
largely,  says  Mr.  Ward  of  Bullock, 
Ward  &  Co.  The  trouble  with  the  "cou- 
pon in  every  package"  scheme  is  about 
the  same  as  with  the  trading  stamp  plan. 
The  life  of  the  average  man  is  too 
short  to  enable  him  to  earn  a  premium 
worth  having.  The  writer  not  long  ago 
was  much  amused,  as  well  as  aston- 
ished, on  reading  over  the  coupon  en- 
closed with  every  package  of  a  well- 
known  cereal  breakfast  food,  to  note 
the  almost  absolutely  impossible  terms 
that  were  required  to  be  complied  with 
in  order  to  earn  a  premium  of  respect- 
able value.  Among  other  things  listed 
was  a  piano,  parentage  not  specified,  to 
earn  which  the  eater  of  this  breakfast 
food  was  required  to  save  20,000  cou- 
pons, representing  probably  more  than 
he  and  his  family  and  his  neighbors' 
families  all  put  together  would  eat  in 
several  generations,  and,  mind  you,  this 
scheme  was  advertised  and  given  all 
the  publicity  possible  in  order  to  help 
their  business,  by  men  no  doubt  of  ordi- 
nary intelligence,  probably  with  intelli- 
gence above  the  average  at  least,  seeing 
they  have  made  a  success  of  their  busi- 
ness, as  far  as  success  can  be  judged 
frprn  ^  the  outside.  The  usual  plan  of 
this  "coupon  in  every  package"  scheme 
is  to  ask  the  eater,  user,  or  wearer  of 
the  package,  to  send  a  nice  little  silver 
dime,  for  example,  and  a  specified  num- 
ber of  coupons,  when  a  silver-plated 
spoon,  fork  or  something  of  that  nature 


Ffili       THESE  BEAUTIFUL  RINGS 


finish  and  set  with  brilliant  that 
only  experts  can  tell  from  atienulne 
Diamond.or  Cluster  Ring  set  with 
2  large  simulation  Rubies  and  2 
Pearls,  being  very  latest  design, 
square  band  shape.  Earn  your 
Choice.  Will  send  four  of  my  large  Art  Pictures.which  you  are  to 
sell  at  the  special  price  of  25  cents.  They  sell  on  sight.asthey  are 
handsome  art  productions,  16x20  inches,  done  \  \  I  f  //  . 
in  10 to  17  colors,  originals  costing$200  to  $500.  A\\M ['///// 
I  also  send  a  Handsome  Jewelry  Novelty  in^^ag. 


pictures,  all  charges  paid,  immediately  on 
hearing  from  you.  You  can  also  earn  other  .^^ 
valuable  presents  if  you  dont  care  for  ring.  ^^^ 
JOHH  RHODES,  814  Lumber  Exchange,  Hi 

A  Ring  advertisement  that  has  been  very  sue- 


68 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


will  be  sent.  The  cost  of  these  little 
premium  articles  varies  usually  from 
five  to  eight  cents  apiece.  This  leaves 
a  comfortable  margin  for  postage,  and 
the  firm  has  presumably  thereby  induced 
the  consumption  of  a  quantity  of  its 
goods  without  expense  to  itself. 

Almost  all  other  premium  schemes  are 
closely  related  to  these  two  that  have 
been  described  in  detail.  They  are 
all  good  schemes  for  the  manufacturer 
or  dealer,  but  as  for  the  public — well,  it 
should  look  out  for  itself. 

The  Mail  Order  Premium  business  is 
based  on  an  entirely  different  principle, 
and  while  philanthropy  was  no  doubt  far 
from  being  the  originating  cause  of  this 
business,  still  the  public  is  really  bene- 
fited by  this  system  of  trading.  The 
central  idea  is  that  the  housewife  should 
purchase  all  her  daily  supplies,  such  as 
tea,  coffees,  spices,  extracts,  soaps,  toilet 
requisites,  etc.,  etc.,  direct  from  the 
importer  and  manufacturer  in  quanti- 
ties of,  say  a  month's  supply  at  a  time, 
instead  of  from  day  to  day,  as  she  may 
need  these  supplies,  from  her  local  store. 
This  eliminates  the  profits  of  the  com- 
mission man,  the  jobber,  and  the  retail 
dealer,  as  well  as  all  the  other  expenses 
incident  to  selling  goods  in  this  old- 
fashioned  and  expensive  way.  This  say- 
ing, which  on  the  average  amounts  to 
about  100  per  cent — in  some  cases  more 
than  that,  and  in  other  cases,  of  course, 
such  as  on  various  articles  considerably 
less — is  invested  by  the  Mail  Order  Pre- 
mium House  in  a  valuable  and  sensible 
premium,  say  a  piece  of  furniture  such 
as  a  couch,  rocker,  table,  etc.,  equal  in 
value  to  the  amount  of  the  goods  pur- 
chased. Thus  a  $10  order  of  supplies 
would  bring  with  it  a  premium  valued 
at  r  tail  at  $10. 

The  Mail  Order  Premium  House 
proves  its  faith  by  works,  leaving  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  thrifty  house- 
wife, who  is  their  customer,  that  she  is 
actually  saving  all  they  claim  by  pur- 
chasing her  daily  household  supplies  di- 
rect from  them  in  this  economical  way. 
They  do  this  by  giving  her,  should  she 
not  desire  a  premium,  her  goods  at  a 
discount  of  50  per  cent,  or  twice  the 
amount  of  goods  for  the  sum  of  money 
she  remits,  as  the  case  may  be.  Thus, 
if  she  orders  $10  worth  of  goods,  and 
does  not  want  a  premium,  she  gets  them 
for  $5,  or  if  she  remits  $10  and  says  she 
does  not  want  a  premium,  but  extra 
goods,  she  gets  $20  worth.  Therefore, 


she  knows  she  is  saving  all  the  mail  or- 
der house  claims,  either  in  money  or 
premiums,  because  she  can  compare  the 
prices  they  charge  her  for  her  supplies 
and  the  prices  she  would  have  to  pay  at 
her  local  store.  Usually,  however,  the 
housewife  elects  to  take  a  premium  in- 
stead of  a  discount  on  her  goods,  be- 
cause she  knows — still  keeping  to  the 
$10  order  as  an  example — that  with  the 
strong  purchasing  power  of  a  large  busi- 
ness, the  Mail  Order  Premium  House 
can  take  the  $5  discount  that  she  would 
be  allowed  on  such  an  order,  and  pur- 
chase for  her  a  much  more  valuable 
article  than  she  could  purchase  for  her- 
self from  her  local  dealer.  Probably  the 
article  that  she  would  get  would  cost 
her  at  least  $10  at  her  local  store,  while 
on  large  contracts  for  the  same  article 
the  Mail  Order  Premium  House  would 
not  pay  over  $5  for  it.  This  goes  again 
to  prove  that  the  housewife  who  deals 
in  this  new  and  economical  way,  saves 
one-half  of  her  daily  household  expenses 
for  supplies  and  necessities,  and  can 
elect  to  have  this  saving  either  in  money 
or  in  furnishings  for  her  home. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Mail 
Order  Premium  business  is  built  upon 
the  solid  foundation  of  strict  business 
principles  carried  beyond  the  commer- 
cial world  and  into  the  home  and  daily 
life  of  the  housekeeper,  a  thing  never  at- 
tempted before,  and  for  that  reason 
there  can  be  no  question  about  the  sta- 
bility and  permanency  of  this  business, 
neither  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  al- 
though its  proportions  are  fairly  large 
even  now,  it  is  only  yet  in  its  infancy,  as 
was  stated  earlier  in  this  article. 

There  are  only  a  few  houses  engaged 
in  what  might  be  called,  strictly  speak- 
ing, the  legitimate,  full-value-received 
Mail  Order  Premium  business  in  the* 
country.  The  reasons  for  this  are  ob- 
vious. The  capital  now  required  in  or- 
der to  meet  competition  is  consider- 
able, while  the  profits,  being  on  a  strictly 
conservative  business  basis,  are  not  such 
as  to  allure  the  many  get-rich-quick  as- 
pirants who  are  continually  trying  to 
break  into  the  Mail  Order  business  in 
some  form,  and  who  usually  break  out 
of  it  again  just  as  rapidly.  And  yet,  the 
total  business  done  by  these  few  Mail 
Order  Premium  Houses  amounts  at  the 
present  time  to  the  comfortable  sum  of 
fifty  millions  annually.  One  firm  alone 
is  credibly  reported  to  have  done  a  busi- 
ness of  between  fourteen  and  fifteen  mil- 


PRINCIPLES  OF  THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


69 


lions  last  year.  This  firm  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  business,  and  their 
growth  from  year  to  year  has  been 
steady  and  rapid,  which  goes  to  show 
that  there  is  very  little  element  of 
chance  in  a  business  that  is  founded  on 
correct  business  principles,  and  is  not 
started  or  organized  with  the  sole  ob- 
ject of  plundering  the  public  without 
giving  value  received.  There  was  a  time, 
not  many  years  ago,  when,  unfortunately, 
the  majority  of  the  concerns  engaged  in 
the  premium  business  were  of  the 
"hold-up"  stripe,  and  existed,  apparently, 
solely  with  the  view  of  making  the  most 
possible  money  out  of  the  public  in  the 
least  possible  time,  and  then  getting  out 
of  this  business  and  into  something  more 
respectable.  In  those  days,  naturally, 
the  premium  business,  or  the  giving  of 
premiums  in  any  form,  was  looked  down 


upon  by  honorable  and  legitimate  busi- 
ness houses.  Times  have  changed  since 
then,  however.  Now  there  is  scarcely  a 
concern  in  the  country  manufacturing 
goods  that  appeals  directly  to  the  indi- 
vidual or  the  home,  that  does  not  offer 
premiums  in  some  form  or  other,  to 
promote  the  sale  and  extend  the  use  of 
their  products.  Among  these  concerns 
of  world-wide  reputation  the  following 
might  be  given  just  as  one  or  two  nota- 
ble examples  :  "American  Tobacco  Co.," 
"American  Cereal  Co.,"  and  the  "Cudahy 
Packing  Co."  Thus  in  time,  we  need 
not  be  surprised  if  we  see  that  greatest 
and  most  dignified — presumably — of  all 
American  industrial  institutions,  the 
"United  States  Steel  Corporation,"  giv- 
ing a  coupon,  good  for  a  brand  new 
island,  to  your  "Uncle  Sam,"  with  every 
ton  of  armor  plate  they  furnish  him. 


GENUINE  DIAMOND 


pure  spar 


ond  Solitaire  in 


a  pure  gold  setting,  and  there  is  npfiraitation  about  this 
valuable,  precious  stone  or  ring.  ^This  is  the  same  stone 
and  setting  usually  worn  by  men  and  women  of  wealth") 
and  refinement,  and  not  a  word  of  this  adyt.  is  intended 
to  deceive  you.  It  is  agenuinediamond  ring  with  pure 
gold  getting,  and  you  may  have  it  free  to  own  and  keep, 

uine  dia- 


AWAY 


without  sending  us  any  of  your  money.    A  gent 

mond  ring  is  costly.  We  give  this  one  away  to  advertise 

ourselves.  If  you  want  this  beautiful  jewel.write  us  for  8  of  onr  beautiful  art  color  pio-  ] 
tures,  size  over  IX  xlV  feet,  and  sell  them  at  25  cents  each.  Remember,  this  Diamond  Ring  will  be  sent 
you  all  charges  prepaid  by  us  when  we  receive  from  you  the  money  for  the  pictures.  Everything  ia  plainly 
stated,  and  if  you  want  this  Beautiful  Diamond  Solitaire  Ring,  as  described  above,  write  for  the  art 
pictures  immediately.  The  ring  will  not  cost  you  one  cent.  If  you  want  this  Gold  Ring,  set  with  a 
sparkling  Genuine  Diamond,  address  at  once.  T.  LESLIE.  Dept.  548  Pearl  St..  New  York  City. 


To  offer  a  "genuine  diamond  ring  for  selling  $2.00  worth  of  goods"  seems  a  policy  that  is  well-nigh 
suicidal.  Yet  the  advertiser  does  as  he  agrees.  It  must  be  explained,  however,  that  the  diamond, 
is  a  chip"  and  worth  about  50  cents. 


70 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Advertising  Mediums. 


You  perhaps  have  an  advertising  cam- 
paign in  view.  You  think  that  your 
goods,  and  your  plan  for  disposing  of 
them  is  a  winner,  but  you  cannot  be 
sure  of  this,  until  you  have  tried  the 
scheme  on  the  public. 

Now  let  me  be  candid — we  have  known 
many  mail  order  schemes  that  looked 
like  winners,  and  yet  they  failed  to 
catch  on  with  the  public.  Every  ex- 
perienced mail  order  man  will  tell  you 
the  same  thing,  if  he  is  disposed  to  be 
honest  and  candid.  Mr.  Sears,  of  Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.,  who  probably  knows 
as  much  if  not  more  about  mail  order 
advertising,  than  any  man  in  the  busi- 
ness, says  that  mail  order  advertising  is 
merely  a  matter  of  experiment. 

There  are  some  so-called  advertising 
experts,  who  will  tell  you  that  their 
advice  is  infallible — that  if  they  put  the 
seal  of  their  approval  on  your  scheme 
and  literature,  it  is  bound  to  make  a 
fortune  for  you.  This  may  be  comfort- 
ing before  the  event,  but  you  are  likely 
to  find  out  how  little  their  advice  is 
worth  after  you  have  taken  it. 

A  writer  in  one  of  the  advertising 
papers  says  that  the  advice  of  an  adver- 
tising man  who  says  "he  don't  know" 
is  worthless — that  it  is  his  business  to 
know.  It  is  certainly  his  business  to 
know  some  things,  but  he  cannot  be 
sure  of  some  other  things  until  the 
scheme  has  been  tried  out. 

No  physician  can  guarantee  to  cure  a 
patient  who  is  very  ill,  with  an  acute  or 
chronic  disease.  Unexpected  conditions 
are  always  likely  to  arise.  The  more 
the  physician  knows,  and  the  greater  his 
reputation  and  skill,  the  more  ready  he 
will  be  to  say  he  does  not  know  about 
some  things.  Quacks  give  guarantees — 
which  are  worthless. 

No  lawyer  of  reputation  will  under- 
take to  guarantee  that  he  will  get  a 
verdict.  That  depends  upon  how  the 
judges  or  jury  look  at  the  matter.  The 
lawyer  may  feel  that  the  weight  of  the 
law  and  evidence  is  on  his  side,  but  the 


case  must  be  tried  before  he  can  say  that 
it  is  an  absolutely  sure  winner. 

In  an  advertising  campaign,  the  public 
is  the  judge  and  jury;  the  case  must 
be  presented  to  them.  The  advertising 
man  can  prepare  the  case  so  that  it  will 
have  the  best  chance  of  getting  a  verdict 
from  the  public. 

It  was  said,  in  a  preceding  paragraph, 
that  it  was  the  business  of  the  adver- 
tising man  to  know  some  things.  Some 
of  these  things  are,  he  should  know 
what  has  been  done  in  the  advertising 
field ;  he  should  know  what  replies  will 
cost  for  different  kinds  of  advertise- 
ments in  different  classes  of  publica- 
tions— not  exactly,  of  course,  but  ap- 
proximately. He  should  be  a  student 
of  human  nature,  and  so  be  able  to 
form  an  opinion  as  to  why  some  adver- 
tising fails,  and  some  pulls  with  differ- 
ent classes  of  people.  He  should  be  able 
to  write  the  kind  of  advertising  mat- 
ter that  will  stand  the  best  'chance  of 
success  with  the  people  that  the  adver- 
iser  wishes  to  reach.  The  more  experi- 
ence he  has  had,  the  better  he  will  be 
able  to  advise  intelligently.  The  suc- 
cesses and  failures  will  teach  him  the 
road  to  success,  and  the  places  in  the 
road  where  the  tires  are  likely  to  be 
punctured.  Mail  order  advertising  is  a 
matter  of  experiment,  but  in  many  lines 
some  one  else  has  already  made  the  ex- 
periment, and  it  is  useless  for  the  new 
advertiser  to  try  a  losing  proposition 
over  again.  The  right  kind  of  an  adver- 
tising man  knows  about  those  experi- 
ments. While  he  cannot  give  infallible 
advice,  he  will  give  intelligent  advice. 

If  you  have  goods  that  the  people  de- 
sire, will  sell  them  at  the  right  price, 
and  will  tell  about  them  in  earnest, 
straightforward,  convincing  manner,  us- 
ing the  right  mediums,  advertising  will 
sell  the  goods.  Whether  you  can  .make 
the  business  pay  will  depend  upon  the 
margin  of  profit,  and  your  business 
methods. 

The  success  of  scheme  advertising  of 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


any  kind,  depends  upon  the  way  the 
scheme  is  shaped  up  and  the  literature 
written.  This  is  a  matter  of  natural 
ability,  experience  and  knowledge  of 
human  nature. 

USE  GOOD  MEDIUM. 

There  is  not  so  much  competition  in 
the  mail  order  business  as  many  suppose 
because  there  are  so  many  advertise- 
ments run  that  count  for  nothing,  that  is 
they  are  so  lifeless  that  they  are  never 
noticed.  They  make  no  more  impres- 
sion upon  the  reader  than  so  much  blank 
space. 

Then  there  are  also  a  great  many  who 
are  advertising  in  papers  that  could  not 
possibly  bring  them  in  one  cent's  worth 
of  business.  A  large  number  of  people 
try  the  mail  order  business  and  after 
one  or  two  ineffectual  attempts,  give  up. 
It  takes  a  little  nerve  to  place  ads  in 
papers  where  the  rate  is  from  25  cents 
to  $3  a  line,  but  they  are  the  only  papers 
that  can  pay. 

The  beginner  in  advertising  is  too  apt 
to  consider  the  cheapness  of  rate  with- 
out regard  to  circulation,  and  in  this 
way  fritters  away  his  money  in  driblets 
on  worthless  mediums,  without  getting 
returns.  The  most  important  point  to 
consider  about  a  paper  is  its  circulation. 
A  paper  without  a  circulation  large 
enough  to  bring  replies  is  dear,  even  at  a 
cent  per  line.  Amateur  papers  should  be 
avoided — no  matter  how  tempting  the 
price  may  seem.  They  always  were  and 
always  will  be,  of  absolutely  no  value 
whatever.  If  the  money  to  be  spent  for 
advertising  is  limited,  use  some  of  the 
well-known,  low-priced  mediums.  They 
bring  excellent  returns  in  proportion  to 
their  cost  and  carry  the  announcement 
of  nearly  all  experienced  advertisers. 

THE  CHEAP  MONTHLIES. 

What  kind  of  papers  are  best  for  the 
mail  order  business?  Undoubtedly  the 
cheap  monthlies.  These  monthlies  seem 
to  have  taken  the  place  of  old  literary 
weeklies  and  their  coming  each  month  is 
awaited  as  eagerly. 

They  reach  the  people  of  the  great 
middle  class  who  have  not  the  oppor- 
tunities to  buy  at  their  local  stores  and 
who  have  become  accustomed  to  order 
goods  by  mail. 

Writers  in  advertising  papers,  who  do 


not  know  much  about  the  mail  order 
business,  decry  the  "cheap  monthlies." 
As  a  matter  of  fact  these  "cheap  month- 
lies" supply  the  entire  intellectual  life 
of  millions  of  our  countrymen  who  are 
as  interested  in  them  as  their  city 
cousins  are  in  the  latest  novels  and  mag- 
azines. 

The  answering  of  a  mail  order  ad- 
vertisement may  seem  a  commonplace 
affair,  but  to  people  in  the  backwoods  or 
farmhouses,  the  answering  of  an  adver- 
tisement that  arouses  their  curiosity  is  a 
mild  form  of  excitement. 

The  "cheap  monthlies"  are  not  only 
read  by  country  folks,  but  they  are 
studied.  The  head  of  the  house  reads 
the  ads  to  find  bargains  in  the  neces- 
saries or  luxuries  of  life,  the  younger 
people  read  the  ads  to  hear  from  their 
small  change.  You  may  wonder  how  or 
why  these  papers  are  read,  but  they  are, 
and  they  bring  results  to  advertisers  who 
want  to  do  business  by  mail. 

The  ordinary  family  in  the  country 
takes  a  local  county  paper,  perhaps  a 
semi-weekly  or  tri-weekly  edition  from 
the  office  of  a  city  daily,  occasionally  a 
monthly,  semi-monthly  or  weekly  agri- 
cultural paper,  and  three  or  four  month- 
ly story  papers  of  the  mail  order  class. 
Among  these  papers  the  ones  most  at- 
tentively read  are,  county  paper  for  the 
local  news  of  friends  and  neighbors,  and 
the  mail  order  monthlies  for  their 
stories,  cooking  recipes,  directions  for 
dress-making,  lace-making,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  for  the  ads,  which  are  read 
and  re-read,  even  more  eagerly  than 
the  reading  columns  of  the  paper.  It  is 
only  the  head  of  the  family  who  takes 
much  interest  in  political  matters  or 
in  agricultural  articles  in  the  tri-weekly 
or  the  agricultural  paper,  but  the  whole 
family  read  the  ads  and  stories  in  the 
story  paper.  To  these  people  a  paper 
means  something  they  do  not  tear  it  up 
to  kindle  fires — they  keep  files  of  their 
favorite  publications,  year  after  year,  so 
that  they  can  reread  the  continued 
stories  when  they  have  nothing  else  to 
read. 

Some  of  these  papers  have  exchange 
columns,  and  in  these  exchange  columns 
may  be  seen  offerings  of  a  year's  num- 
bers of  certain  papers  for  a  like  quan- 
tity of  other  publications.  In  these  ex* 
change  columns  may  also  be  noted  calls 
for  lost  numbers  of  certain  publications. 
It  is  owing  to  this  fact  that  the  papers 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


are  kept  and  reread,  and  passed  along 
for  others  to  read,  is  due  the  experience 
of  many  mail  order  advertisers  in  re- 
ceiving replies  months,  and  even  years, 
after  the  ad  appeared. 

Do  not  think  that  the  people  who 
treasure  a  cheaply  printed  paper  are 
to  be  held  in  scorn,  or  that  their  trade 
is  worthless,  many  of  them  have  more 
money  than  the  average  city  mechanic 
or  clerk  will  ever  have,  and  live  better. 
If  you  think  these  people  are  all  people 
of  little  or  no  intelligence,  just  read 
some  of  the  letters  that  appear  in  the 
correspondence  departments  of  some  of 
these  publications.  If  your  stenographer 
can  use  as  good  a  grade  of  English  and 
can  spell  as  well  as  some  of  these  coun- 
try women,  whose  chief  relaxation  is 
reading  and  writing  letters  to  the  mail 
order  monthlies,  you  are  in  luck. 

I  said  that  the  women  and  girls  and 
boys  of  the  family  were  not  often 
greatly  interested  in  political  or  agri- 
cultural contributions,  but  this  is  not  to 
say  that  all  agricultural  papers  are  left 
unread  by  them.  Indeed,  many  farm 
papers  publish  stories  and  have  depart- 
ments which  appeal  forcibly  to  the 
women  and  young  people  of  the  farm- 
er's family.  These  are  the  agricultural 
papers  in  which  it  pays  to  advertise 
many  miscellaneous  articles,  aside  from 
agricultural  machinery,  live  stock,  and 
veterinary  medicines  and  other  articles, 
which  appeal  directly  to  the  farmer  as 
a  business  man.  There  are,  to  be  sure, 
all  classes  of  readers  in  the  country,  and 
there  are  some  few  who  have  grown 
away  from  the  publications  I  have  de- 
scribed and  take  a  daily,  "The  Saturday 
Evening  Post,"  and  a  "Success"  club 
instead ;  but  the  masses  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts still  rely  upon  the  mail  order 
monthlies  for  their  light  reading,  and 
no  mail  order  man  who  is  selling  a  low 
or  medium  priced  grade  of  goods  can 
afford  to  ignore  the  mail  order  month- 
lies' clientele. 

MAIL  ORDER  WEEKLIES. 

There  are  some  of  the  weeklies  which 
go  to  much  the  same  class  of  people 
as  do  the  monthlies.  But  a  rather 
larger  share  of  the  circulation  is  put 
m  the  larger  villages  and  factory  towns 
rather  than  among  the  farming  popula- 
tion. However,  the  goods  that  interest 
the  latter  will  often  interest  the  former, 


especially  anything  in  the  way  of  novel- 
•  ties. 

Good  representations  of  this  class  of 
weeklies  are  "Boyce's  Weeklies"  and 
"Grit."  These  papers  are  sent  out  to 
newsboys  on  consignment,  copies  sold 
to  be  paid  for  at  3  cents  each.  How- 
ever, it  is  not  customary  to  send  many 
more  copies  than  the  boy  is  able  to  dis- 
pose of. 

Not  only  have  these  papers  a  large 
circulation  in  the  factory  towns,  but 
they  also  have  considerable  circulation 
in  the  rural  districts ;  the  boys  find 
a  ready  sale  for  them  to  farmers  who 
come  into  town  Saturday  afternoon  or 
evening  for  the  week's  supply  of  gro- 
ceries. Railroad  men  are  also  large 
purchasers  of  this  class  of  papers.  Be- 
sides the  two  papers  already  mentioned 
the  names  of  two  others  of  considerable 
circulation  may  be  added;  these  are 
"The  Saturday  Globe"  of  Utica  and 
"The  Illustrated  Record"  of  New  York. 
Most  of  these  papers  devote  consider- 
able space  to  sporting  events,  especially 
prize  fights,  and  to  sensational  events, 
such  as  murders,  executions,  etc.  A  con- 
siderable amount  of  fiction  is  printed. 
Grit  publishes  a  story  supplement,  as 
well  as  a  picture  supplement.  The  Sat- 
urday Globe  issues  a  number  of  local 
editions  for  the  various  mill  towns,  and 
in  these  editions  prints  the  .pictures  of 
various  local  celebrities,  often  social 
leaders  among  the  mill  workers  them- 
selves. 

This  is  a  very  taking  feature.  The 
Globe,  be  it  said,  is  printed  on  .first- 
class  paper,  which  shows  up  a  photo- 
engraving as  well  as  those  appearing  in 
the  ten-cent  magazines. 

Some  of  the  weekly  agricultural  pa- 
pers are  good  mail  order  pullers  for  the 
right  class  of  goods. 

And  there  are  about  three  high-class 
weeklies  that  are  good  mediums  for  a 
high  class  mail  order  proposition. 
These  are  "The  Saturday  Evening 
Post,"  "The  Youth's  Companion"  and 
"Collier's  Weekly."  The  two  first  men- 
tioned have  a  large  number  of  mail 
subscribers  in  the  villages  and  coun- 
try districts,  while  the  great  bulk  of 
Collier's  edition  is  placed  in  the  cities, 
through  news  stand  sales.  These  week- 
lies give  results  equal  to  the  best  month- 
lies and  superior  to  the  weaker  monthly 
publications. 


-PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


73 


ONE  PAPER  OR  MANY. 

The  beginner  in  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness, with  a  limited  capital  to  use  in  try- 
ing out  his  proposition,  hesitates  be- 
tween using  one  paper  or  several.  It  all 
depends  upon  what  he  is  advertising, 
and  how  much  money  he  has  at  his 
command. 

As  a  general  thing  it  may  be  said  that 
if  the  article  that  is  to  be  advertised  is 
high  grade  and  considerable  money  is 
demanded  for  it,  it  is  better  to  select  the 
paper  best  calculated  to  reach  the  class 
likely  to  be  interested  in  his  goods,  and 
to  use  reasonably  large  space  in  that  pa- 
per for  a  considerable  period  of  time. 
The  best  copy  and  illustrations  should 
be  used,  and  the  goods  being  exploited 
should,  if  possible,  appear  in  the  illus- 
tration and  be  mentioned  in  the  head- 
line. 

It  may  be  wise  to  use  new  copy  each 
issue,  so  as  to  hold  the  interest  of  read- 
ers. If  the  proposition  is  a  good  one, 
and  the  proper  supplementary  literature 
is  used,  the  advertiser  will  soon  be  in  a 
position  to  extend  his  field  and  to  take 
similar  sized  space  in  other  publications 
of  the  same  general  character  as  the  one 
first  used. 

If  the  advertiser  is  offering  a  low 
grade  article,  or  is  pushing  a  scheme 
that  appeals  to  people  out  of  employ- 
ment, it  will  be  better  to  run  a  small  ad 
in  several  papers  that  have  a  good  rec- 
ord for  getting  the  kind  of  orders  that 
the  advertiser  is  after. 

These  ads  should  be  carefully  keyed, 
so  that  one  may  know  where  the  in- 
quiries come  from.  Then  the  papers 
that  do  not.  give  profitable  results  can  be 
cut  out  and  others  tried.  If  none  of  the 
papers  give  good  results  it  will  be  found 
that  there  is  something  wrong  with  the 
ad  or  the  plan,  or  both.  This  should  be 
remedied  and  the  papers  tried  again. 


It  is  well  to  have  a  reliable  advertis- 
ing agent  make  up  the  list  of  periodicals 
rather  than  for  the  inexperienced  adver- 
tiser to  try  to  do  so  himself.  An  adver- 
tising agency  that  has  had  large  experi- 
ence in  handling  mail  order  propositions 
will  also  be  able  to  give  an  intelligent 
opinion  as  to  whether  the  plan  and  the 
goods  are  likely  to  prove  a  success  in 
the  mail  order  field.  However,  a  plan 
may  seem  plausible,  and  apparently  have 
every  element  of  success  in  it,  and  still 
prove  a  failure.  The  oldest  and  largest 
advertisers  are  willing  to  own  that  they 
do  not  know  it  all,  yet.  Mr.  Sears,  of 
Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co.,  is  quoted  as  say- 
ing that  "the  whole  advertising  problem 
resolves  itself  in  a  series  of  experiments 
— finding  your  way."  But  it  stands  to 
reason  that  the  advertising  agents  who 
have  been  in  business,  have  made  mis- 
takes and  achieved  successes  for  years 
will  be  more  likely  to  find  the  right  way, 
and  find  it  quicker  than  will  the  novice. 

LIST  OF  PAPERS. 

The  placing  of  advertising  is  a  rock 
upon  which  most  of  the  new  advertisers 
are  wrecked.  A  paper  may  be  a  good 
medium  one  month  and  a  poor  one  the 
next.  I  might  give  a  list  of  mail  order 
media  today  and  two  months  from  now 
some  of  the  papers  may  be  of  no  value 
whatever.  Besides  some  papers  may  be 
good  for  some  propositions,  but  poor 
for  others.  I  prefer  therefore  to  make 
up  special  lists  for  advertisers.  Submit 
a  copy  of  your  advertisement,  let  me 
know  the  amount  of  money  you  propose 
to  appropriate  and  I  will  be  pleased  to 
make  you  up  a  list,  covering  same. 

Or,  to  get  quicker  action,  you  can 
send  me  the  amount  you  want  to  spend 
for  advertising,  a  description  or  circu- 
lar of  the  article,  and  I  will  get  up  the 
ad  and  place  it  in  the  most  and  best 
papers,  according  to  the  amount  you 
send. 


74 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
How  5pace  is  Measured. 


An  inch  means  a  space  one  inch  high 
and  one  column  wide. 

Sometimes  a  price  per  line  is  quoted. 
Unless  otherwise  specified,  this  means  a 
measured  line — 14  lines  agate  measure 
to  the  inch — and  has  nothing  to  do  with 
the  number  of  counted  lines  in  the  ad- 
vertisement. For  example :  In  an  ad- 
vertisement occupying  ten  lines  of  space 
agate  measure,  four  or  five  lines  of 
space  may  be  occupied  by  one  heavy  dis- 
play type.  Ten  lines  simply  means  ten- 
fourteenths  of  an  inch. 

DISPLAY  ADS. 

Display  advertisements  are  placed 
among  the  ordinary  advertisements  in 
the  publication.. 

It  is  customary  to  use  some  of  the 
type  in  large  sizes  to  attract  attention, 
with  or  without  illustrations.  It  is  not 
necessary,  however,  to  use  display  type, 
even  where  one  is  buying  display  space. 
But  an  advertisement  set  in  shape  of 
reading  matter  and  grouped  among  dis- 
play advertisements  would  be  out  of 
place,  and  in  most  cases  not  particularly 
effective. 

READING  MATTER  ADS. 

Readers  are  set  in  different  type  with- 
out display  of  any  sort  except  that  a 
heading  is  generally  allowed  in  a  black- 
faced  type  of  small  size.  The  price 
varies  according  to  the  position  in  the 
paper,  being  highest  on  the  editorial,  if 
allowed  there  at  all;  they  often  cost 
more  if  set  in  the  reading-matter  type 
of  the  paper.  Generally  the  rate  is 
higher  than  for  display  space  in  the 
same  publication. 

A  FLAT  RATE 

is  a  fixed  rate  for  advertising  space,  re- 
gardless of  amount  of  space  used  or 
number  of  insertions.  It  means  one  rate 
to  all. 

Papers  used  to  give  special  discounts 
for  long  time  contracts  or  where  an  ad- 


vertiser agreed  to  use  say,  a  thousand 
inches  in  one  year.  In  order  to  get  a 
reasonable  rate,  advertisers  had  to  con- 
tract for  a  large  amount  of  space.  This 
arrangement  proved  unsatisfactory,  as 
some  advertisers  were  led  to  use  more 
space  than  they  could  use  with  profit, 
while  small  advertisers  were  placed  at  a 
disadvantage. 

A  "Flat  Rate"  saves  ever  so  much  fig- 
uring ;  it  puts  all  advertisers  on  an  equal 
footing  and  enables  them  to  buy  just 
so  much  space  as  they  need  at  the  low- 
est price. 

CLASSIFIED  ADS. 

Classified  advertisements  are  those 
which  are  set  without  display  type  and 
are  grouped  under  proper  headings  in 
some  special  section  of  the  publication. 
They  are  carried  by  all  daily  publica- 
tions, most  of  the  large  weeklies  and 
trade  papers  and  some  of  the  maga- 
zines. The  rate  is  generally  slightly  less 
than  for  display  space  in  the  same  publi- 
cation. 

As  classified  ads  are  mostly  small  and 
inserted  by  people  who  know  nothing 
about  space  rate,  it  is  more  convenient 
to  charge  so  much  per  word  and  this  is 
done  by  nearly  all  papers. 

POSITION. 

Naturally  every  advertiser  desires  to 
have  his  advertisement  placed  in  a  po- 
sition where  it  cannot  fail  to  be  noticed 
by  the  reader.  Position  alongside  of 
reading  matter  is  very  desirable.^ Full 
position,  meaning  top  of  columfT""and 
nexfto  reading  matter  or  first  ad  in 
broken  column  next  to  reading,  is  bet- 
ter yet.  But  since  the  number  of  "full 
positions"  possible  in  a  paper  are  lim- 
ited and  by  no  means  equal  to  the  de- 
mand, they  generally  command  an  extra 
charge  of  from  25  to  50  per  cent  and 
cannot  always  be  granted  even  at  that 
price. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


75 


HOW  TO  SEND  COPY. 

"Copy"  is  a  term  used  to  describe  the 
.naterial  for  an  advertisement  in  the 
form  it  is  given  the  publisher.  This 
may  be  in  a  complete  printing  plate,  or 
simply  the  text  matter  and  cuts  (if  any 
are  used),  with  specifications  for  proper 
arrangement  of  the  same. 

Send  the  text  matter  of  the  ad  plainly 


written  on  one  side  of  the  paper.  Do 
not  attempt  to  make  it  look  as  it  will  in 
print.  Simply  indicate  by  marginal  ref- 
erence what  are  to  be  the  principal  dis- 
play lines  and  write  any  further  instruc- 
tions on  a  separate  sheet.  Where  it  is 
important  and  time  allows,  the  paper 
will  submit  a  proof  of  the  advertisement 
after  it  has  been  put  in  type. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Postal  Pointers. 


Do  not  enclose  with  catalogues  or 
merchandise,  letters  or  other  writing,  as 
by  so  doing  you  will  subject  the  entire 
package  to  letter  rates  of  postage.  Third 
and  fourth-class  matter  is  inspected  and 
detained  for  improper  enclosures. 

Matter  sealed  against  inspection  is 
charged  letter  rates  of  postage.  Do  not 
seal  up  packages  of  merchandise,  cata- 
logues, etc.  The  government  is  not  re- 
sponsible for  mail  matter  placed  on  a 
mail  box.  It  must  be  dropped  into  the 
box. 

The  objection  to  abbreviations,  ex- 
cept those  generally  understood,  is 
rooted  in  the  postal  service,  and  the  in- 
dividual who  spends  valuable  time  in 
sending  new  and  curious  ways  of  abbre- 
viating is  looked  upon  as  an  enemy.  So 
it  is  that  the  postal  service  expects  that 
all  names  shall  be  written  out  fully  and 
plainly,  without  flourishes  or  attempts  at 
condensation.  If  your  friend's  name  is 
John,  do  not  write  it  "J.,"  for  this 
stands  for  James,  Jeremiah  and  Jane, 
and 'in  case  he  has  moved  to  another  lo- 
cality you  place  it  out  of  the  power  of 
the  post  office  to  get  a  letter  to  him.  If 
you  feel  tempted  to  abbreviate  a  long- 
name,  whether  individual  or  corporate, 
remember  that  you  are  likely  to  repent 
it  later. 

Mail  matter  may  be  delivered  through 
a  lock  box  when  addressed  to  the  lessee 
of  such  box,  or  in  his  care,  to  his  em- 
ployes, to  any  member  of  his  family,  or 
to  his  temporary  visitors  or  guests. 
Boxes  will  not  be  rented  to  persons 
using  fictitious  names,  nor  to  persons 
engaged  in  unlawful  pursuits. 

Separate  firms,  or  two  or  more  per- 


sons not  associated  in  business,  can  not 
secure  mail  through  the  same  box. 

The  rent  of  lock  boxes  and  drawers 
at  the  Chicago  post  office  is  three  dollars 
per  quarter  for  lock  boxes,  and  four 
dollars  per  quarter  for  drawers. 

Twenty  cents  additional  will  be  re- 
quired as  a  deposit  for  each  key. 

Where  boxes  or  drawers  will  not  ac- 
commodate all  mail  received  by  individ- 
uals or  firms,  they  must  rent  another. 

The  Post  Office  Department  offers  to 
the  public  the  Registry  System  as  the 
safest  method  of  transporting  valuable 
matter  in  the  mails.  With  little  regard 
for  the  labor  and  cost  involved,  it  has 
placed  about  the  registered  mails  numer- 
ous safeguards  that  assure  to  the  valu- 
able matter  contained  in  said  mails  the 
greatest  security  within  "  its  province.' 
Registered  mail  is  kept  in  the  special 
custody  of  sworn  agents  of  the  Post 
Office  Department  and  no  unauthorized 
person  is  permitted  to  have  access  to  it. 

The  Sawyer  Pub.  Co.  of  Waterville, 
Maine,  have  established  a  legal  bureau 
and  at  great  expense  retained  one  of 
the  foremost  postal  lawyers  in  the  coun- 
try to  conduct  this  department  of  its 
business. 

The  services  of  this  counsel  are  al- 
ways at  the  disposal  of  the  patrons  of 
The  Sawyer  Pub.  Co.  without  charge  of 
any  kind.  The  Sawyer  Pub.  Co.  will 
foot  the  entire  cost  of  this  enterprise,  in 
order  to  remove  all  doubt  and  uncer- 
tainly as  to  the  legal  rights  and  privil- 
eges of  mail  order  dealers  and  adver- 
tisers and  to  establish  and  maintain 
amicable  relations  between  its  patrons 
and  officials  of  the  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


77 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
Growth  of  the  Mail  Order  Business. 


Comparatively  few  years  ago  the  mail 
order  business  was  almost  unknown.  It 
began  with  the  selling  of  small  trifles 
which  could  be  sent  by  mail,  and  gradu- 
ally developed  till  the  selling  of  small 
novelties  in  this  way  became  a  more  or 
less  important  business.  There  followed 
a  period  in  which  the  grafter  flourished. 
All  sorts  of  fake  schemes  were  exploited 
by  mail,  as,  for  instance,  the  man  who 
offered  to  tell  how  "To  Double  Your 
Money  Quickly,"  and  who,  on  receipt  of 
a  dollar  for  this  information,  told  the 
victim  to  "fold  it."  Another  fake  of 
this  kind  which  coined  money  for  its 
originator  was,  "How  to  Write  Letters 
Without  Pen  or  Ink."  This  information 
also  cost  one  dollar  and  the  victim  was 
told  "Use  a  lead  pencil."  Another  in- 
genious fake  was  the  offer  of  "A  High 
Grade  Steel  Engraving  of  the  Father  of  ' 
Our  Country — George  Washington — for 
50  Cents."  This  proved  to  be  an  ordin- 
ary 2  cent  postage  stamp.  Another  of 
this  kind  was  the  offer  of  "A  Suburban 
Lot,  $15."  This  was  ingeniously  adver- 
tised with  photographs  of  a  suburban 
town  with  attractive  looking  homes, 
lawns,  streets,  etc.,  but  the  advertising 
omitted  to  state  the  size  of  the  lot  and 
the  victim,  when  he  investigated,  found 
that  his  lot  was  about  3  ft.  by  4  ft.  in 
size,  and  the  houses  shown  were  simply 
toy  houses. 

All  sorts  of  dishonest  schemes  of  this 
kind  sprang  up  and,  for  a  long  time,  cast 
discredit  upon  the  entire  mail  order  busi- 
ness. Gradually,  however,  the  tide 
turned.  It  was  found  that  essentially 
the  same  methods  which  were  so  suc- 
cessful for  these  schemes  were  even 
more  successful  when  the  proposition 
was  an  honest  one,  and  as  more  and 
more  honest,  reputable  concerns  engaged 
in  mail  order  merchandising  the  way  of 
the  mail  order  transgressor  became 
harder  and  harder.  The  public  gradu- 
ally became  educated  and  capable  of 
discriminating  between  good  and  bad 
propositions.  Meanwhile,  the  United 


States  Post  Office  Department  became 
more  and  more  active  in  tracking  the 
dishonest  mail  order  operator  to  his  lair 
and  suppressing  him,  until  during  the 
last  five  years  their  methods  have  be- 
come so  rigid  and  their  ubiquity  so  com- 
plete that  it  is  as  much  as  one's  business 
life  is  worth  nowadays  to  attempt  the 
perpetration  of  a  fraud  through  the  mail. 

It  would  be  safe  to  say  that  99  per 
cent  of  the  propositions  one  sees  now- 
adays advertised  are  absolutely  on  the 
square  and  beyond  reproach.  Working 
in  connection  with  the  Postal  Depart- 
ment, publishers  of  all  sorts  of  period- 
icals which  carry  mail  order  copy,  have 
been  active  in  suppressing  questionable 
advertising  and  the  publicity  of  proposi- 
tions which  cannot  bear  the  most  search- 
ing scrutiny.  Many  publications  have 
gone  further  and  refused  to  accept  liquor 
and  cigarette  advertising,  as  well  as  the 
advertising  of  some  medical  proposi- 
tions considered  objectionable  by  publi- 
cations going  into  the  homes  of  the  peo- 
ple. As  a  further  precaution  against 
having  their  readers  swindled  by  un- 
scrupulous advertisers  nearly  all  of  the 
better  grade  of  periodicals  now  make  a 
definite  offer  to  reimburse  any  subscrib- 
er for  loss  accruing  through  the  dishon- 
esty or  misrepresentation  of  any  of  their 
advertisers. 

Co-incident  with  this  campaign  of 
purification,  the  mail  order  business  has 
grown  at  a  phenomenal  rate,  spreading 
out  and  expanding  more  rapidly  than 
the  proverbial  green  bay  tree.  Unlike 
many  kinds  of  business,  the  mail  order 
business  offers  exceptional  advantages 
to  the  man  or  concern  operating  on 
small  capital,  and  holds  out  splendid  in- 
ducements to  the  man  or  concern  who 
can  command  large  capital.  Partly  for 
this  reason,  perhaps,  mail  order  concerns 
have  sprung  up  by  the  hundreds  every- 
where— in  large  towns  and  small — even 
in  remote  rural  communities — and  in 
many  instances  their  rise,  growth  and 
development  has  been  truly  marvelous. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


With  just  a  few  notable  exceptions,  the 
largest  and  most  prominent  and  success- 
ful mail  order  concerns  date  their  begin- 
ning no  further  back  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  years.  The  progress  made  by  the 
art  of  advertising  has  paralleled  the 
progress  of  mail  order  business,  because 
advertising  is  the  very  backbone  of  mail 
order  business  and  is  the  vital  force 
upon  which  it  is  dependent  for  success. 

If  I  may  consider  mail. order  business 
as  an  "industry,"  it  may  be  safely  assert- 
ed that  no  other  one  industry  has  kept 
pace  with  it  during  the  past  ten  years. 
Statistics  are  not  available  as  to  the 
aggregate  amount  of  mail  order  business 
done  per  year  in  the  United  States,  but 
statistics  show  that  for  the  past  four  or 
five  years  there  has  been  spent  in  the 
United  States  alone  an  annual  average 
of  more  than  $500,000,000  for  advertising. 
It  is  entirely  conservative  to  state  that 
one-half  this  sum  has  been  expended  for 
mail  order  advertising  as  distinct  from 
retail  advertising  and  that  sort  known 
as  "general  publicity"  advertising.  It 
can  be  readily  seen  from  these  figures 
what  a  tremendous  enterprise  mail  or- 
der business  is  at  this  time.  The  two 
largest  mail  order  concerns  each  do  an 
annual  gross  business  close  to  the  $50,- 
000,000  mark.  There  are  some  hundreds 
of  other  concerns  whose  annual  business 
is  known  to  aggregate  from  $10,000,000 
to  $25,000,000.  Those  concerns  which  do 
an  annual  business  of  from  $100,000  to 
$500,000  can  be  counted  by  the  thousand, 
while  the  "lesser  lights"  are  almost  in- 
numerable. 

At  the  time  this  chapter  is  written, 
the  country  has  just  passed  through  a 
"panicky"  period  of  severe  money  strin- 
gency and  disorganization  of  financial 
and  business  conditions  generally.  It  is 
a  notable  fact  that,  with  comparatively 
few  exceptions,  mail  order  concerns  suf- 
fered less  than  almost  any  class  of  busi- 
ness concerns,  and  there  were  fewer  fail- 
ures in  this  line  than  in  almost  any  oth- 
er. Advertising  expenditures  and  ship- 
ments of  goods  continued  throughout  the 
stringent  period  at  almost  a  normal 
point.  Perhaps  the  most  potent  reason 
for  this  is  that  more  than  90  per  cent 
of  mail  order  business  is  done  with  peo- 
ple who  live  on  farms  and  in  the  smaller 
towns  and  villages.  Sixty-nine  per  cent 
of  the  population  of  the  United  States 
live  outside  of  towns  or  cities  of  10,000 
or  more  inhabitants.  This  large  class, 


usually  termed  "the  rural  population," 
form  the  mainstay  of  all  mail  order  busi- 
ness, and  it  has  been  convincingly  dem- 
onstrated that  though  Wall  Street  may 
be  in  a  turmoil  of  agonized  shortness  of 
cash,  and  the  financial  institutions  of 
the  country  going  to  smash  on  every 
hand,  this  "rural  population"  has  plenty 
of  money  and  spends  it. 

This  factor  of  stability  and  safety  in 
the  mail  order  business  has  attracted  to 
it  a  large  number  of  conservative  busi- 
ness men,  and  has  been  another  import- 
ant factor  in  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
business.  Further,  there  is  what  mail 
order  operators  term,  "the  mail  order 
habit,"  which,  as  its  name  implies,  is 
simply  the  habit  of  buying  by  mail.  This 
mail  order  habit  has  grown  and  spread 
and  taken  root  in  new  territory,  and 
flourished  to  a  point  where  it  may  now 
be  reckoned  with  as  a  definite,  success- 
making  force.  We  are  almost  a  nation 
of  mail  order  customers  and  this  is  rec- 
ognized by  the  business  world,  and  again 
accounts  in  part  for  the  rapid  rise 
of  mail  order  business.  Certainly,  the 
mail  order  business  is  a  promising  field 
which  is  not  found  wanting  when 
weighed  in  the  balance  of  cold  facts  and 
searching  investigation.  It  has  devel- 
oped into  a  business  which  a  man  seek- 
ing safe  and  profitable  investment  of  his 
money  can  have  every  reasonable  cer- 
tainty of  safety  and  practically  the  as- 
surance of  large  profits.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  business  has  produced  a 
large  number  of  people  who  devote  their 
time  and  talents  to  the  various  phases 
of  the  business.  For  example :  There 
are  advertising  agents  who  make  a  spe- 
cialty of  mail  order  advertising — some 
do  not  handle  any  other  sort  of  adver- 
tising. There  are  writers  of  copy,  illus- 
trators, printers,  etc.,  who  know  from 
experience  the  peculiar  needs  and  re- 
quirements of  mail  order  business,  and 
who,  each  in  his  special  line,  is  capable 
of  rendering  services  which  return  the 
maximum  results  to  the  mail  order  oper- 
ator. I,  myself,  make  a  specialty  of 
writing,  illustrating  and  placing  mail 
order  copy  so  that  returns  to  the  adver- 
tiser will  be  a  matter  of  cold  calculation 
based  on  experience,  instead  of  being  a 
haphazard  gamble  with  the  chances 
largely  against  the  advertiser. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER  .BUSINESS. 


79 


SCHEME  CONCEIVED  IN  1872. 

This  manner  of  reaching  the  con- 
sumers of  the  goods  and  actually  com- 
peting with  and  defeating  in  his  own 
locality  the  country  merchant  is  said  to 
have  been  conceived  by  the  head  of  one 
of-  the  large  Chicago  firms  abo.ut  the 
year  1872.  He  took  advantage  then  of 
the  farmers'  grange  organization  and 
sold  through  its  channels,  dealing  at 
first  only  in  dry  goods.  The  success  of 
the  venture  soon  made  its  wider  possi- 
bilities apparent  and  the  scope  of  the 
business  was  broadened  accordingly  as 
rapidly  as  it  could  be  done  systematic- 
ally. 

Rivals  invaded  the  field,  but  only  in 
Chicago.  The  geographical  location  of 
the  city  made  it  a  distributing  point  that 
cities  in  the  eastern  and  far  •  western 
parts  of  the  country  could  not  compete 
with.  ? 

HAS  REACHED  GIGANTIC  PRO- 
PORTIONS. 

Now  the  mail  order  retail  business 
has  reached  such  gigantic  proportions 
that  the  volume  of  daily  shipments  of 
merchandise  sent  out  is  surprising. 
From  one  house  alone,  that  of  Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.,  which  has  been  in  exist- 
ence since  1894,  and  which  rates  its 
annual  sales  as  the  largest  in  that  line  in 
the  city,  the  following  figures  were  sup- 
plied for  the  volume  of  affairs  trans- 
acted in  just  one  day  of  a  week: 

First  delivery  of  incoming  first-class 
mail  received  weighed  655  pounds  and 
included  more  than  11,000  cash  orders 
for  merchandise,  varying  from  a  few 
cents  to  several  hundreds  of  dollars 
each. 

Shipments  of  freight  for  filling  orders 
amounted  in  the  day,  in  actual  figures, 
to  thirty-six  carloads,  which  included 
shipments  made  direct  from  factories  as 
well  as  from  the  Chicago  warehouses. 

Postage  on  shipments  by  mail  for  one 
day  nearly  $800,  indicating  that  more 
than  two  tons  of  merchandise  were  sent 
by  mail. 

Following  an  order  received  by  one 
of  the  large  houses  as  it  goes  through 
the  hands  of  various  employes  until  the 
goods  are  sent  to  the  customer,  the  ob- 
server first  sees  letters  being  opened  in 
bunches  of  fifty  or  more  a  second  by 
machinery.  The  opening  machine  con- 


sists principally  of  a  roller  covered  with 
sandpaper,  revolving  like  a  buzzsaw,  and 
on  the  surface  of  which  a  bunch  of 
sealed  envelopes  is  pressed  for  a  second 
while  the  roller  revolves  and  the  sand- 
paper wears  through  the  edges  of  all  the 
envelopes  at  once. 

AUDITING  FORCE  READS 
LETTERS. 

Stamping  the  hour  and  date  of  receiv- 
ing is  done  by  a  machine.  An  auditing 
force  reads  the  letters  and  another  force 
enters  the  orders  on  tickets  made  out 
suitably  for  the  various  demands  of  cus- 
tomers. Routing  through  the  proper 
channels  of  the  establishment  is  done 
by  another  set  of  clerks,  after  which  a 
distributing  force  delivers  the  orders  to 
the  proper  departments,  where  the  or- 
ders are  filled  from  the  stocks  of  mer- 
chandise. After  the  articles  are  selected 
for  sending  out  they  are  assembled  in 
the  shipping  room,  where  the  packers  do 
their  part  of  the  work.  The  shipping 
clerks  are  the  last  to  get  the  goods  be- 
fore they  are  delivered  to  the  teamsters, 
who  take  them  to  the  post  office  or  to 
the  railway  companies. 

Addresses  of  country  buyers  are  kept 
in  indexed  drawers  filled  with  cards 
filed  by  state,  town  and  county.  Lists 
of  hundreds  of  thousands  are  to  be 
found  in  the  mail  order  houses  of  the 
city,  kept  corrected  daily  so  far  as  the 
town  names  are  concerned  by  reports 
from  the  postal  department  at  Washing- 
ton. All  of  the  houses  do  their  own 
manufacturing  in  small  lines  and  con- 
trol the  outputs  of  factories  in  many 
other  lines. 

HOW  THE  BUSINESS  IS  CON- 
DUCTED. 

How  rapid  has  been  the  growth  of 
the  business  is  illustrated  fairly  in  the 
mail  order  department  of  the  John  M. 
Smyth  Company,  which  is  a  separate 
concern  from  the  local  retail  trade.  It 
occupies  buildings  by  itself  and  is  con- 
ducted as  an  independent  project. 

"Push  has  been  the  watchword  from 
the  start,"  said  Maurice  D.  Lynch,  office 
manager  for  the  firm,  in  commenting  on 
the  manner  of  doing  business  there. 
"This  house  opened  four  years  ago  and 
already  requires  a  force  of  1,000  em- 
ployes. 


8o 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


"There  is  one  word  that  explains  the 
growth  of  the  mail  order  business.  That 
word  is  'advertising,' "  explained  Mr. 
Lynch.  "The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  se- 
lect the  proper  mediums  for  advertising. 
That  will  attract  people  so  that  they  will 
send  for  your  catalogue.  Once  you  hear 
from  then,  you  have  to  keep  at  them 
with  'follow-up*  letters  until  they  buy; 
Once  they  buy,  it's  the  same  as  in  any 
other  business.  If  you  treat  them  bet- 
ter than  they  ever  have  been  treated  be- 
fore they  will  come  again.  Any  house 
that  sells  to  a  customer  only  once  will 
not  stay  in  this  business  very  long.  Haste 
in  delivery  is  as  important  as  low  prices, 
and  sometimes  more.  The  house  that' 
can  ship  the  most  promptly  to  fill  its 
orders  is  the  house  that  is  going  to  get 
the  orders. 

"Liberality  of  treatment  given  to  cus- 
tomers is  one  of  the  secrets  of  success. 
That  applies  to  all  of  the  Chicago 
houses.  No  trouble  is  too  great  for  any 
of  them  to  take  time  to  'square'  a  'kick/ 
We  take  back  goods  or  exchange  them 
or  give  the  customer's  money  back  if  the 
goods  are  not  satisfactory." 


CIRCULARS. 

There  are  cumulative  results  of  circu- 
lar advertising  as  well  as  in  general  ad- 
vertising. In  order  to  get  the  best  re- 
sults from  your  circulars  you  must  send 
them  out  in  a  systematic  way.  A  list  of 
a  thousand  names  of  people  who  might 
buy  your  goods,  if  well  cultivated,  will 
bring  better  returns  than  a  list  of  five 
times  that  number  that  are  circularized 
but  once. 

A  man  may  read  your  circular,  cata- 
logue or  booklet,  when  it  is  sent  him  and 
he  may  be  favorably  impressed  with  it, 
but  he  may  not  need  your  goods  just  at 
that  time  or  he  may  not  happen  to  have 
the  money.  It  is  only  by  reaching  him 
persistently  and  continuously  that  you 
finally  strike  him  when  he  is  in  a  buying 
mood.  It  would  be  money  thrown  away, 
however,  to  circularize  a  haphazard  list 
in  this  way.  But  if  every  person  on 
your  list  is  known  to  be  a  possible  pur- 
chaser of  your  goods,  or  needs  your 
goods,  then  your  circular  advertising  is 
bound  to  yield  results.  Every  circular 
that  you  send  to  the  same  person  will 
add  to  the  force  of  those  you  sent  be- 
fore. 


KEYING  ADS. 

Experienced  advertisers  key  their  ads. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  important  fea- 
tures of  the  business,  as  it  enables  them 
to  judge  the  relative  value  of  the  dif- 
ferent mediums  for  their  purposes  and 
to  restrict  their  advertising  to  papers 
bringing  profitable  business. 

A  keying  system,  to  be  satisfactory, 
must  possess  the  elements  of  simplicity 
and  accuracy.  A  method  that  seems  to 
have  these  features  is  that  of  simply 
placing  a  signifying  letter  before  the 
street  number.  If,  for  example,  the 
address  of  the  advertiser  is  318  River 
street,  he  could  vary  it  by  running  it  in 
one  publication  as  A  318  River  St.,  in 
another  B  318  River  st.,  etc.,  giving  a 
different  letter  for  each  publication. 
Then  by  keeping  a  record  of  the  sources 
from  which  his  replies  come  he  can  in- 
variably tell  exactly  what  results  each 
paper  is  producing.  This  is  the  essence 
of  simplicity. 

Where  the  street  address  is  not  given 
in  an  advertisement,  place  the  key  let- 
ter ahead  of  the  post  office  box  number 
— example,  Box  H  126.  If  the  boxes  are 
not  numbered,  as  is  the  case  in  the  small- 
er post  offices,  and  simply  the  town 
address  is  printed,  a  fictitious  box  num- 
ber can  be  adopted  without  causing  con- 
fusion or  miscarriage  of  mail. 

If  the  advertiser  finds  by  these  meth- 
ods that  a  certain  paper  is  paying,  he 
should  stick  to  that  paper  so  long  as  it 
continues  to  pay. 

If  the  paper  is  a  poor  one,  he  should 
get  out  of  it  and  concentrate  all  energy 
in  paying  papers ;  or,  if  he  is  working 
them  to  the  limit,  try  new  ones. 

If  the  returns  from  even  his  best  pa- 
pers are  not  satisfactory,  there  is  prob- 
ably something  wrong  with  the  ad  or  the 
methods.  His  prices  may  be  either  'too 
high  or  too  low.  If  he  cannot  locate  the 
trouble  himself,  he  should  call  on  the 
papers  he  has  been  using,  for  sugges- 
tions. 

THE  VALUE  OF  GOOD  COPY. 

Mail  order  men  know  the  worth  of 
advertising.  They  realize  the  import- 
ance of  using  good  copy  as  is  obtain- 
able, though  they  are  not  always  able  to 
judge  where  to  get  the  best  copy,  nor 
to  know  the  best  copy  when  they  see  it. 
But  their  business  depends  upon  their 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


Si 


advertising  being  effective.  They  can 
see  the  returns  roll  in ;  -they  know  that 
all  the  business  done  comes  directly  or 
indirectly  from  the  advertising  put  out. 

With  the  retailer,  the  jobber  and  the 
manufacturer  it  is  somewhat  different. 
The  largest  and  best  managed  of  such 
concerns  give  the  same  careful  attention 
to  the  matter  of  securing  value  received 
for  the  advertising  appropriation  that 
they  do  to  getting  just  return  for  other 
money  expended.  But  other  concerns  do 
not  give  the  advertising  department 
such  careful  supervision.  It  cannot  be 
exactly  ascertained  how  much  business 
the  advertising  brings ;  they  cannot  be 
certain  that  better  advertising  would 
bring  perceptible  increase,  and  if  it  did 
bring  such  increase  no  one  could  prove 
that  the  advertising  did  it.  So  things 
are  allowed  to  drift.  The  same  ad  is 
used.  The  literature  is  prepared  with: 
out  expert  direction. 

One  reason  that  people  consider  writ- 
ing advertising  matter  comparatively 
unimportant  work  is  the  fact  that  it  con- 
sists of  just  words — words.  Everyone 
uses  words.  Everyone  can  talk  and 
write  a  bit.  To  the  uninitiated  words  are 
very  much  alike.  There  seems  little 
difference  between  the  words  that  sell 
the  goods  and  those  that  make  no  im- 
pression. 

A  man  sees  the  necessity  of  going  to 
a  good  engraver  in  order  to  have  the 
illustrations  made.  He  sees  the  import- 
ance of  going  to  a  good  printer  to  have 
the  booklet  gotten  out.  He  knows  noth- 
ing about  engraving,  nothing  about 
printing,  and  he  knows  that  he  does  not. 
But  he  can  write  a  letter,  he  uses  words, 
therefore  he  considers  himself  a  judge 
of  advertising  matter,  and  thinks  that 
he  can  write  it.  Perhaps  he  can,  but 
that  remains  to  be  proven.  There,  in 
your  dictionary  are  more  words  than 
Shakespeare  ever  used.  We  have  all 
the  words  at  our  command,  but  we  are 
not  Shakespeare.  The  chances  are  that 
the  advertiser  isn't  a  good  writer  or  ad 
writer,  either.  He  would  better  spend 
his  time  in  doing  something  that  he  is 
sure  he  knows  how  to  do  than  to  go  up 
against  an  uncertainty.  He  can  make 
the  money  to  pay  an  experienced  ad 
writer,  and  have  something  left. 

Advertising  is  but  words ;  but  how 
important  that  every  word  should  be 
weighed,  and  exactly  the  right  one  used. 
Not  a  word,  not  a  sentence  should  ap- 


pear which  is  not  essential  to  making  the 
argument  convincing;  neither  should  a 
word,  sentence  or  argument  be  omitted 
which  will  add  to  the  strength  of  the 
whole. 

MAIL.  ORDER  BARGAIN   SALES. 

The  enterprising  mail  dealer  of  the 
future  will  give  more  attention  to  spe- 
cial bargain  offers,  than  is  at  present 
being  done.  It  is  understood  that  much 
in  the  way  of  bafgain  advertising,  of  one 
kind  or  another,  is  now  being  put  out  by 
the  mail  order  fraternity.  Many  of  the 
leaders  advertised  by  the  big  mail  order 
concerns  are  sold  at  or  near  cost,  in 
order  to  make  an  impression  on  readers 
and  buyers.  The  regular  line,  of  course, 
pays  a  fair  percentage  of  profit. 

Then  the  advertiser  who  cuts  his  reg- 
ular price  in  his  follow-up  letters,  if  he 
finds  he  cannot  land  the  order  at  the 
full  price,  is  something  of  a  bargain 
advertiser.  In  the  case  of  medical  prop- 
ositions the  price  is  often  cut  down 
one-half  or  more.  Unless  the  special 
offer  is  made  in  a  very  plausible  way 
only  the  more  credulous  would  have 
anything  to  do  with  a  concern  that 
adopted  such  tactics. 

But  the  kind  of  bargain  advertising 
that  the  writer  has  in  mind  is  the* 
straightforward,  special  sale  advertising 
such  as  is  used  with  great  effect  by  the 
department  stores,  and  many  other  re- 
tailers. 

The  special  bargain  sale  of  a  limited 
stock,  or  a  sale  that  lasts  a  limited  time, 
has  the  merit  of  making  people  act  at 
once.  The  regular  lines,  advertised  in 
the  catalogue,  can  be  obtained  any  time 
during  the  year — people  therefore  put 
off  buying,  unless  they  are  in  urgent 
need  of  the  goods. 

When  people  can  obtain  desirable 
goods  at  less  than  the  regular  price, 
they  are  willing  to  purchase  immediately. 
They  see  how  profitable  it  will  be  for 
them  to  obtain  a  concession  of  twenty 
to  thirty  per  cent  on  goods  that  they 
must  buy  some  day.  The  fact  that  this 
is  so  is  shown  in  the  packed  isles  of 
the  department  stores  at  the  seasons 
when  special  or  clearance  sales  are  being 
advertised. 

Now,  there  is  no  more  economically 
minded  class  of  citizens  in  this  country 
than  the  farmers.  Money  does  not  come 
to  them  easily;  they  have  to  earn  every 


82 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


dollar  of  it  in  the  sweat  of  their  brow. 
They  know  its  worth,  and  they  want  to 
get  full  value  when  they  let  it  go. 
Farmers'  children  are  brought  up  on 
the  ''Poor  Richard"  maxims. 

What  more  desirable  class  than  this, 
to  obtain  returns  from,  in  reply  to  bar- 
gain advertising?  Many  dealers  in  the 
smaller  cities  and  towns  have  found  it 
paid  them  exceedingly  well  to  advertise 
their  special  clearances  to  the  farmers 
in  the  territory  surrounding  the  city. 
Those  close  enough,  drive  in  to  attend 
the  sale.  Many  of  those  living  at  some 
distance  send  their  orders  by  mail. 

Macey's  and  Wanamaker's  have  both, 
during  the  present  season,  sent  out  cir- 
culars to  those  on  their  mailing  list, 
offering  special  bargains  for  prompt  ac- 
ceptance. The  large  mail  trade  done  by 
these  firms,  however,  is  probably  to  a 
great  extent  with  villagers,  rather  than 
with  farmers. 

But  the  Cash  Buyers'  Union  does  a 
large  trade  with  farmers,  and  this  con- 
cern has  put  out  two  special  cut  price 
catalogues,  offers  in  which  could  only 
be  accepted  for  a  limited  time.  Like 
regular  department  store  advertising, 
these  catalogues  gave  former  prices,  as 
well  as  cut  prices.  The  regular  five  per 
cent  discount  to  shareholders  was  not 
allowed  on  these  special  offers.  The 
special  offer  has  a  great  future  before 
it  in  the  mail  trade. 

SELLING  BOOKS. 

When  selling  one  book,  it  is  requisite 
that  it  should  allow  a  large  margin  of 
profit  in  order  to  make  a  net  profit  for 
the  advertiser.  In  order  to  obtain  a 
price  that  will  allow  such  a  profit,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  book  should  be  ex- 
clusive, and  be  of  such  a  character  that 
the  advertiser  will  have  a  chance  to 
persuade  the  mail  order  buyer  that  it  is 
a  desirable  purchase  at  the  price. 

If  you  cannot  get  such  a  book,  and 
still  wish  to  handle  books,  you  should 
handle  a  line,  so  that  you  can  make 
many  sales  to  the  same  person. 

Among  the  best  sellers  for  a  mail  or- 
der man  mray  be  mentioned  books  for 
self -instruction  in  practical  subjects,  and 
books  which  will  inform  the  purchaser 
how  to  make  money.  Marriage  guides 
and  similar  medical  books,  written  in  a 
popular  manner,  and  fully  covering  the 


subjects,  also  interests  a  large  class  of 
people,  especially  young  people.  Song 
books  are  good  sellers,  and  the  cheap 
ten-cent  editions  have  been  found  among 
the  very  best  leaders  to  advertise  a  popu- 
lar line  of  books  and  novelties. 

Sensational  books,  which  are  adver- 
tised in  such  a  way  that  young  people 
think  they  are  going  to  read  something 
they  ought  not,  have  had  a  large  sale. 
The  books  themselves  are  much  milder 
than  the  advertising  would  lead  one  to 
think,  and,  indeed,  they  must  be  mild  or 
they  will  not  be  allowed  to  go  through 
the  mails.  The  authorities,  however,  do 
not  put  the  ban  on  the  classical  authors, 
even  though  they  go  much  farther  than 
the  novelty  books  used  by  the  mail  order 
trade  will  be  permitted  to  go. 

Zola's  earlier  novels,  Daudet's  Sappho, 
Camille,  Balzac's  novels,  and  Fielding's 
Tom  Jones,  though  containing  decidedly 
risque  situations,  are  all  mailable. 

Selling  standard  books  is  not,  as  a 
rule,  very  remunerative,  because  so  lit- 
tle profit  can  be  realized  on  them.  Still, 
it  is  a  clean,  straightforward  business, 
and  if  satisfaction  is  given  you  can  deal 
with  the  same  people  year  after  year. 
Since  the  new  ruling  concerning  the 
mailing  of  paper-bound  novels  has  gone 
into  operation,  there  is  little  difference 
in  postage  whether  one  sells  a  paper- 
bound  book  or  one  in  cloth,  and  cheap 
cloth  books  can  be  purchased  nearly  as 
cheaply  as  the  paper  issues. 

Therefore,  it  is  advisable  to  push  the 
cloth-bound  books.  A  good  location  for 
a  mail  order  book  business  would  be  in 
a  suburban  town  near  a  publishing  cen- 
ter. This  would  enable  the  dealer  to 
save  on  rents  and  still  get  his  books 
without  paying  freight  charges. 

Several  firms  have  made  good  money 
out  of  the  newspaper  subscription  busi- 
ness, but  here,  too,  the  margin  of  profit 
is  very  small,  and  the  subscription  agent 
must  depend  upon  a  vast  amount  of 
business  for  his  profit.  Most  of  the 
successful  subscription  agents  are  doing 
business  in  villages  or  small  cities  where 
the  cost  of  rent  and  help  is  less. 

In  the  books  the  same  principles  apply 
as  in  other  branches  of  the  mail  order 
business — have  goo'd  literature,  a  good 
follow-up  system  and  give  good  values, 
so  that  your  customers  will  buy  from 
you  whenever  they  want  anything  in 
your  line. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


PRIZE  OFFERS. 

You  should  not  attempt  to  offer  prizes 
for  guessing  or  counting  or  solving  rid- 
dles or  making  large  sales,  unless  you 
are  prepared  to  advertise  largely.  These 
methods  only  attract  a  large  number  of 
inquiries  when  large  space  is  used  in  a 
large  number  of  papers. 

There  was  once  a  beginner  who 
thought  that  this  was  a  winning  method 
of  advertising,  so  he  took  an  inch  space 
in  a  paper  of  ten  thousand  circulation, 
and  advertised  a  ten-cent  leader,  offer- 
ing a  prize  of  five  dollars  to  the  person 
who  guessed  nearest  to  .the  number  of 
replies  he  received  to  the  ad,  it  being 
a  condition  that  each  person  who 
guessed  should  buy  the  ten-cent  leader. 
He  got  one  reply.  He  actually  thought 
he  was  going  to  get  enough  replies  to 
net  him  a  profit  on  the  transaction. 

CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS. 

Instruction  by  correspondence  in  the 
various  branches  of  arts  and  sciences  is 
one  of  the  achievements  of  the  past  cen- 
tury, made  possible  by  advertising.  The 
advantages  of  this  new  system  of  edu- 
cation are  not  even  now  fully  realized 
by  those  for  whom  it  was  primarily  cre- 
ated. Young  men  and  women  who  are 


ambitious,  yet  whose  means  and  circum- 
stances do  not  permit  them  to  take  up  a 
regular  college  course,  can  qualify  them- 
selves for  the  professions  at  home. 

About  everything  is  now  being  taught 
through  the  correspondence  system, 
from  civil  engineering  to  the  writing  of 
advertisements.  Although  there  have 
been  many  branches  essayed,  the  teach- 
ing of  which  is  impracticable,  there  is 
no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  correspond- 
ence schools  in  general  are  a  source  of 
great  good,  stimulating  ambition  and 
raising  the  standard  of  knowledge  and 
mental  equipment  among  those  who  do 
not  possess  the  educational  advantages 
of  a  course  in  high  school  or  college. 

The  opening  of  a  correspondence 
school  offers  a  rare  opportunity  for  a 
man  of  education  and  ability,  with  a 
few  hundred  dollars  to  appropriate  for 
advertising.  The  advertising  of  such 
schools  is  constantly  on  the  increase, 
and  people  have  come  to  have  confidence 
in  their  honesty  of  purpose  to  furnish 
them  the  education  desireM  We  would 
not  advise  anyone  to  start  a  school  for 
the  teaching  of  any  subject  unless  he 
understood  that  subject  thoroughly,  or 
could  employ  someone  who  did,  to  pre- 
pare his  course  and  take  care  of  the 
students. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Financial  and  Investment  Advertising. 


Many  promoters,  brokers  and  real 
estate  agents  are  doing  a  large  and  pay- 
ing business  by  mail.  This  field  offers 
rich  returns,  because  it  is  not  so  largely 
worked  as  some  other  branches  of  the 
mail  order  business.  The  whole  coun- 
try is  prosperous,  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  rural  population  is  the  foundation  of 
all  the  other  prosperity,  so  that  many 
financial  propositions  could  profitably  be 
set  forth  to  rural  residents. 

If  you  have  stocks  or  bonds  of  a 
good  company  for  sale,  you  can  sell 
them  all  over  the  country  at  a  compara- 
tively small  cost  if  you  will  tell  the  peo- 
ple who  have  money  to  invest  about 
your  proposition,  and  give  them  conclu- 
sive reasons  why  they  should  put  their 
money  with  you. 

LITERATURE  AND  METHODS. 
A  good  booklet  is  necessary  in'  setting 
forth  a  financial  proposition  of  any  kind. 
The  financial  advertiser  must  explain  the 
whole  matter  at  length.  People  in  the 
.  first  place  are  much  concerned  as  to  the 
'  safety  of  their  money  —  they  must  be 
"convinced  that  it  will  be  just  as  safe  in 
*  proposition  under  consideration  as  in 
lany  other  business.  It  should  be  ac- 
;knowledged  that  there  are  some  slight 
risks  perhaps,  but  it  should  also  be 
shown  that  there  are  risks  in  every  in- 
vestment. Banks  fail,  real  estate  depre- 
ciates in  value,  etc.  It  may  be  shown 
also  that  "there  are  large  risks  in  going 
into  business  and  handling  one's  own 
money — a  large  proportion  of  those  go- 
ing into  business  fail.  Go  on  to  prove 
that  the  business  being  exploited  is  in 
fact  less  risky  than  most  conservative  in- 
vestments which  pay  a  small  rate  of  in- 
terest, and  the  dividends  are  sure  to  be 
several  times  what  may  be  hoped  for  in 
any  so-called  conservative  proposition. 
The  arguments  to  be  used,  of  course, 
depend'  upon  what  the  proposition  is. 
Different  arguments  would  have  to  be 
used  to  sell  a  gold  mine  than  in  a  brok- 
er's advertisement  of  a  discretionary 
pool.  But  these  foundations  could  be 


used  in  both  cases ;  in  fact,  in  all  finan- 
cial advertising — safety__and  large  profits. 

It  is  often  wise  to  sell  securities  by 
the  installment  plan,  as  this  will  allow 
many"to  invest  who  would  not  be  able 
to  do  so  otherwise.  An  argument  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  saving  a  small  amount 
monthly  and  investing  it  where  it  will 
grow  into  something  big  may  be  urged 
with  good  effect. 

Prove  to  the  reader  that  the  few  dol- 
lars per  month  the  stock  costs  will  de- 
prive him  of  nothing  that  makes  for  his 
real  happiness.  That  it  is  merely  a  ques- 
tion of  doing  without  certain  frivolities 
which  he  would  do  just  as  well  to  drop. 
Then  appeal  to  the  gambling  instinct 
which  exists  in  most  people — show  the 
fortunes  that  have  been  made  by  those 
who  have  purchased  similar  securities 
at  ground  floor  prices  and  held  on  till 
the  raise.  It  is  easy  to  do  this  in  min- 
ing, oil  or  most  other  investments. 

BROKERS. 

A  broker  who  is  asking  for  orders  to 
buy  on  a  margin  can  adduce  many  in- 
stances of  those  who  have  doubled  and 
quadrupled  their  money  in  a  very  short 
time.  A  broker's  booklet  should  show 
the  whole  plan  of  buying  and  selling  on 
margin  so  plainly  that  one  who  knows 
nothing  of  the  business  can  have  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  the  whole 
mode  of  operation. 

Some  brokers  have  put  out  the  dis- 
cretionary pool  scheme  by  which  they 
are  given  the  right  to  use  the  money  to 
buy  such  stocks  as  they  consider  best 
and  to  sell  when  they  please — in  other 
words  to  use  their  own  discretion.  There 
have  been  undoubtedly  many  disnonest 
schemes  of  this  kind,  but  that  is  not  to 
say  that  all  brokers  who  run  them  are 
dishonest — it  depends  on  how  the  busi- 
ness is  managed.  The  famous  Franklin 
syndicate  of  New  York,  which  agreed 
to  pay  ten  per  cent  weekly,  made  no  win- 
nings on  the  exchange,  for  they  did  no 
buying ;  they  merely  paid  dividends  out 
of  the  capital.  But  no  one  need  seri- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ously  consider  running  another  pool  on 
those  lines — the  postal  authorities  are  on 
the  lookout  for  that  kind  of  schemes, 
and  they  will  be  nipped  in  the  bud  be- 
fore they  have  a  chance  to  make  a  start. 
An  investment  proposition  should  be  run 
on  honest  lines  and  have  enough  solid 
foundation  to  give  the  investor  a  chance 
to  win  out  as  promised. 

MEDIUMS. 

Most  of  the  mail  order  monthlies  do 
not  offer  particularly  well  for  financial 
advertising.  The  dailies  are  good  to 
reach  a  portion  of  the  investing  public 
— particularly  those  residing  in  urban  or 
suburban  communities.  A  considerable 
portion  of  the  kind  of  people  who  have 
money  to  invest,  and  who  live  in  small 
villages  and  on  farms  get  the  dailies 
also.  The  others,  semi-weekly  and  tri- 
weekly newspapers,  issued  from  the  of- 
fice of  the  dailies. 

The  agricultural  weeklies,  semi-month- 
lies and  monthlies  can  also  be  profitably 
used.  Many  of  the  agricultural  papers, 
however,  refuse  to  accept  this  class  of 
advertising. 

REAL  ESTATE. 

Real  estate  as  well  as  stocks  can  be 
exploited  as  an  investment  if  it  is  lo- 
cated in  a  section  that  gives  the  adver- 
tising man  a  chance  to  show  that  it  is 
likely  to  appreciate  in  value.  Real  es- 
tate near  large  and  growing  cities  offers 
such  a  chance.  If  the  city  is  small  and 
yet  is  growing  fast  and  there  are  reasons 
which  can  be  adduced  why  it  is  likely  to 
be  a  future  industrial  center,  the  argu- 
ment can  be  made  as  convincing  as 
though  the  realty  were  located  near  a 
metropolis.  Examples  can  be  shown  of 
the  fortunes  made  in  well  chosen  real 
estate  that  equal  those  made  in  gold 
mines  or  on  the  stock  exchange. 

There  are  several  real  estate  agents 
advertising  certain  blocks  of  lots  as  be- 
ing good  investments,  but  the  agents 
who  are  doing  a  general  real  estate  busi- 
ness have  not  put  forward  this  feature 
of  their  business  prominently.  That  is, 
they  have  not  appealed  to  investors  look- 
ing for  a  chance  to  place  their  money 
profitably,  but  who  have  not  yet  decid- 
ed where  they  will  place  it.  The  real 
estate  agents  usually  make  their  talk  to 
those  who  are  already  looking  for  desir- 
able real  property. 


Many  financial  advertisers,  instead  of 
using  periodical  advertising,  are  sending 
out  their  literature  to  lists  of  investors. 
This  will  do  very  well  in  some  instances, 
but  the  names  should  be  well  selected, 
and  some  consideration  given  as  to 
where  the  names  were  obtained.  For  in- 
stance, if  you  are  desirous  of  floating 
some  gold  mining  stock,  it  is  not  likely 
to  pay  you  to  send  your  literature  to  a 
list  of  stockholders  in  another  similar 
mine  which  proved  worthless.  Better  to 
send  it  to  the  names  of  those  who  made 
inquiries,  but  did  not  invest  in  the  de- 
funct mine. 

There  are  many  other  financial  propo- 
sitions which  can  be  profitably  exploited 
by  the  means  of  booklets  and  form  let- 
ters. Building  and  loan  societies  can  get 
new  members  in  this  way,  and  one  new 
member  in  a  community  may  be  the 
nucleus  around  which  will  be  eventu- 
ally gathered  a  large  local  association. 

Even  savings  banks  are  now  going  out 
after  savings  by  the  mail  order  meth- 
ods, so  there  are  few  financial  openings 
which  it  will  not  be  found  profitable  in 
this  way. 

If  you  have  any  investment  proposi- 
tion which  you  wish  to  exploit,  I  can 
write  the  literature  which  will  convince 
prospective  investors  of  the  safety  and 
large  profits  which  your  business  offers. 
The  financial  booklets  that  I  write  are 
informing,  interesting,  convincing. 

They  make  investors  of  a  large  pro- 
portion of  those  who  read  them.  I  also 
write  form  letters,  to  go  to  those  who 
fail  to  respond  to  the  booklet  and  first 
letter.  A  good  follow-up  system  is  nec- 
essary in  financial  as  well  as  other  mail 
order  advertising.  The  follow-up  let- 
ters that  I  write  will  secure  an  invest- 
ment from  every  person  whom  it  is  pos- 
sible to  influence  in  this  direction. 

Do  not  fail  to  write  for  estimates  if 
you  intend  to  start  a  financial  campaign. 

It  may  be  said  that  good  references  as 
to  the  character  and  business  ability  of 
the  officers  and  management  of  any  en- 
terprise will  help  sell  the  stock.  For 
instance,  if  you  are  trying  to  sell  stock 
of  a  gold  mine,  it  will  avail  much  to 
be  able  to  print  in  your  booklet  a  letter 
of  indorsement  from  banks,  state  and 
city  officials,  leading  business  men,  etc., 
saying  that  they  are  acquainted  with  the 
officials  of  the  company  and  believe  them 
to  be  honest  and  efficient.  It  would  be 
well  also  to  have  references  as  to  the 


86 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ability  of  the  manager  who  has.  charge 
of  the  mining  operations. 

Below  are  three  letters  which  are  to 
be  sent  out  in  answer  to  a  request  for 
information  concerning  a  gold  mine. 
They  will  show  you  how  literature  of 
this  kind  should  be  written. 

FIRST  LETTER. 

Dear  Sir :  We  have  your  valued  fa- 
vor of  recent  date,  asking  us  for  infor- 
mation concerning  the  value  of  the 
Snake  River  Gold  Mine  stock  as  an  in- 
vestment. We  accordingly  take  pleasure 
in  sending  you  under  separate  cover  a 
booklet  which  should  prove  conclusively 
to  you  that  this  mine  is  bound  to  pay 
large  dividends  on  the  par  value  of  the 
stock  just  as  soon  as  the  mine  is  de- 
veloped. 

We  are  selling  stock  merely  for  the 
purpose  of  development.  Tunnels  must 
be  dug  in  order  to  get  at  the  ore.  Mills 
must  be  built  to  reduce  the  ore  and  to 
extract  the  gold  which  exists  in  paying 
quantities  throughout  this  vein.  Costly 
machinery  must  be  installed — and  all 
this  costs  money. 

This  Snake  River  mine  consists  of  six 
mining  claims  in  the  rich  Cripple  Creek 
district  of  Colorado.  The  present  stock- 
holders have  put  in  the  venture  all  that 
their  means  will  warrant,  otherwise  we 
should  not  sell  a  share  of  the  stock.  On 
both  sides  of  us  are  mines  producing  ore 
which  is  milling  twenty  to  thirty  dollars 
per  ton,  and  the  stock  in  these  mines  is 
held  at  five  times  the  par.  value.  We 
have  expert  authority  for  the  statement 
that  the  Snake  River  mine  is  richer  than 
either  of  these,  and  contains  a  deeper 
body  of  ore. 

Read  our  booklet  carefully,  notice  the 
diagrams  showing  the  location  of  our 
rich  gold-producing  neighbors — note  that 
the  vein  runs  directly  across  our  prop- 
erty. Also  read  the  statement  of  Mr.  C. 
A.  Jones,  an  expert  mining  engineer, 
who  gives  it  as  his  deliberate  opinion 
that  the  vein  runs  deepest  on  our  prop- 
erty and  is  undoubtedly  richest  there. 

We  are  offering  the  stock  at  sixty 
cents  per  share — as  soon  as  enough  is 
sold  to  put  the  requisite  money  in  the 
treasury  for  developing  the  property,  so 
that  it  will  be  on  a  producing  basis,  the 
stock  will  be  withdrawn  from  the  mar- 
ket. We  are  offering  you  an  unequaled 
opportunity  to  get  in  on  the  ground  floor 
of  a  mine  which  we  confidently  expect 


will  be  among  the  richest  producers  in 
the  country. 

We  inclose  blanks  which  will  permit 
you  to  order  at  the  cash  price  or  to  re- 
mit by  monthly  installments,  as  you  see 
fit.  The  stock  on  the  installment  plan 
costs  62l/2  cents  per  share.  Orders  will 
not  be  accepted  for  less  than  one  hun- 
dred shares.  Trusting  that  you  will  be 
with  us  in  the  development  of  this  mine, 
and  share  in  the  rich  dividends,  we  re- 


main, 


Very  respectfully  yours, 
SECOND   LETTER. 


Dear  Sir:  We  want  to  call  your  at- 
tention to  the  fact  that  a  legitimate  gold 
mining  proposition  is  not  a  gamble.  Aft- 
er the  mine  is  once  located  and  it  is 
proven  that  gold-bearing  ore  in  paying 
quantities  exists  on  it,  gold  mining  be- 
comes simply  an  industrial  enterprise.  It 
is  simply  a  matter  of  machinery,  labor 
and  business  management,  to  get  the  ore 
out  of  the  earth,  crush  it  and  extract  the 
precious  metal. 

We  know  we  have  the  gold-bearing 
ore,  and  we  hope  our  booklet  has  given 
you  convincing  evidence  of  that  fact. 
Not  only  is  the  ore  here,  but  it  is  rich 
and  easily  treated.  It  has  been  estimated 
by  our  manager,  an  expert  of  year's  ex- 
perience, that  the  ore  can  be  mined  am" 
the  gold  taken  from  the  ore  at  a  cost 
less  than  six  dollars  per  ton.  When 
is  taken  into  consideration  that  the  01 
assays  at  from  fifteen  to  thirty  dollai 
per  ton,  and  that  the  vein  is  so  wid< 
and  deep  that  it  will  not  be  exhaustec 
for  years,  some  little  idea  can  be  hac 
even  by  one  not  acquainted  with  mining 
operations  of  the  value  of  this  propert: 

The  next  question  is :  Are  the  rm 
at  the  head  of  the  corporation,  such  as 
will  manage  the  property  economically 
and  to  the  advantage  of  all  the  stock- 
holders? Our  answer  to  this  questior 
must  be  that  the  officers  are  busine^ 
men  who  are  well  known  in  their  owi 
community,  and  are  willing  that  yoi 
should  write  to  or  ask  anyone  acquainte( 
with  them  concerning  their  integrity  and 
business  ability.  References  are  given 
in  the  booklet.  They  believe  in  the 
mine,  and  have  backed  their  judgment 
by  putting  in  it  all  the  money  they  could 
raise,  they  intend  to  get  this  money  out 
of  the  mine  several  times  over;  that  \± 
putting  it  very  conservatively — if  we 
were  to  tell  you  what  some  of  these 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


hard-headed  business  men  really  expect 
the  mine  to  do,  you  would  think  they 
were  dreamers. 

What  they  get  out  of  it,  you  will  share 
in  pro  rata  if  you  become  a  stockholder. 

Can  you  afford  to  miss  this  chance? 
If  you  have  money  to  invest  you  cannot 
put  it  in  an  enterprise  which  is  safer. 
No  speculation  or  gamble  promises  such 
large  returns  as  a  conservative  estimate 
shows  this  mine  is  sure  to  give.  If  you 
are  a  salaried  employe,  our  installment 
plan  of  payment  offers  you  the  chance 
to  save  the  money  without  feeling  it. 
You  will  only  need  to  go  without  a  few 
luxuries  or  amusements  in  order  to  pur- 
chase enough  stock  to  give  you  a  start 
in  life,  and  perhaps  to  make  you  inde- 
pendent. Had  you  not  better  join  us 
in  this? 

Subscription  blanks  enclosed. 
Yours  very  truly. 

THIRD  LETTER. 

Dear  Sir :  The  men  who  succeed  are 
those  who  have  the  discernment  to  real- 
ize a  good  opportunity  when  they  come 
across  it,  and  nerve  enough  to  act  im- 
mediately on  their  judgment.  The  man 
who  deliberates  too  long  will  lose  his  op- 
portunity. 

You  will  meet  scores  of  men  who  will 
tell  you  of  the  opportunities  they  once 
had  to  buy  certain  stocks  cheap  which 
are  now  worth  phenomenal  prices ;  you 
will  meet  others  who  will  tell  you  of  the 
chance  they  had  to  buy,  perhaps  for  one 
.hundred  dollars,  land  on  which  great 
office  buildings  are  now  located.  If 
these  men  had  possessed  the  insight  to 
look  into  the  future,  they  would  now  be 
millionaires — instead  of  that  they  are 
poor  men.  We  have  offered  you  the 
chance — the  question  is,  will  you  believe 
and  act.  Snake  River  stock  is  selling 
rapidly,  and  the  largest  blocks  have  been 
purchased  by  those  who  have  made  a 
personal  examination  of  the  property. 
We  shall'  soon  have  money  enough  to  be- 
gin operations,  and  then  the  chance  to 
buy  stock  from  us  will  be  closed.  The 
only  way  you  can  buy  stock  then  will  be 
from  the  individual  stockholders,  and  as 
soon  as  we  begin  paying  dividends  the 
stock  will  sell  for  many  times  its  pres- 
ent price.  Only  those  who  must  have 
the  money  will  sell  at  any  price. 

Can  you  afford  to  invest  your  money 
in  real  estate  mortgages,  paying  five  or 
six  per  cent?  Can  you  afford  to  leave 


your  money  in  a  savings  bank  and  draw 
three  or  four  per  cent  ?  Only  those  who 
are  rich  can  realize  any  considerable  in- 
come from  this  rate  of  interest. 

The  man  of  small  savings  only  draws 
interest  enough  in  the  course  of  a  year 
to  buy  a  suit  of  clothes.  You  can  never 
make  any  headway  towards  wealth  by 
such  means.  The  men  who  are  million- 
aires put  their  money  where  it  would 
increase  rapidly  in  value.  The  late  Sen- 
ator Hearst  made  his  in  gold  mines, 
William  A.  Clarke  made  his  in  copper 
mines,  John  D.  Rockefeller  made  his  in 
oil  wells,  the  Astors  made  theirs  by  buy- 
ing real  estate  and  holding  it  while  a 
city  grew  around  it.  No  man  ever  made 
or  saved  any  great  amount  of  money  by 
merely  putting  it  out  at  interest.  Money 
breeds  money  only  when  it  is  invested  in 
something  that  offers  a  large  increase. 

There  is  nothing  surer,  nothing  safer, 
nothing  that  offers  larger  returns  than 
an  investment  in  a  good  gold  mine,  if 
the  stock  is  purchased  at  ground  floor 
prices  before  the  mine  has  reached  the 
producing  stage.  If  the  gold  is  there, 
and  can  be  profitably  mined,  the  invest- 
ment is  as  safe  as  government  bonds — 
it  is  safer  than  any  bank.  The  product 
of  a  gold  mine  does  not  have  to  be  sold 
— it  is  legal  tender  anywhere  in  the 
world.  It  is  only  necessary  to  take  it  to 
a  mint  in  order  to  receive  coined  gold 
or  government  paper  in  return. 

As  soon  as  we  get  our  mill  built  and 
machinery  installed,  the  Snake  River 
mine  will  begin  to  produce  gold  for  the 
stockholders.  If  you  want  a  share  in 
this  product  you  must  speak  soon.  We 
shall  not  write  again,  and  this  offer  will 
not  be  held  open.  We  reserve  the  right 
to  return  the  money  sent,  if  your  remit- 
tance arrives  after  we  receive  the 
amount  estimated  by  our  directors  as  be- 
ing sufficient.  But  if  you  send  at  once, 
either  cash  or  first  payment  on  the  in- 
stallment plan,  you  will  doubtless  be  in 
time.  Hoping  to  hear  from  you,  we  re- 
main, 

Yours    very    truly. 

Of  course,  it  is  often  advisable  to  use 
more  than  two  follow-up  letters  in  the 
case  of  an  investment  proposition.  A 
half  dozen  or  more  are  usually  used,  and 
where  so  many  are  used  each  letter  can 
be  limited  to  arguing  one  phase  of  the 
question,  and  they  can  be  made  some- 
what shorter  than  the  samples  I  have 
given. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Entertaining  and  Instructive  Miscellany. 


This  chapter  is  the  most  important  of  the 
whole  boofy,  and  you  should  not  miss  a  word 
of  it.  In  it  I  have  collected  various  ideas, 
suggestions  and  information  that  do  not  seem 
to  come  under  any  particular  head,  but  which 
if  absorbed  by  the  mail  order  advertiser  will 
give  him  a  great  many  ideas  that  may  be  of 
service  in  gaining  success  in  the  mail  order 
field. 

RULE  FOR  ESTIMATING  THE  RE- 
DUCTION  OF   ENGRAVING. 

To  many  advertisers  the  process  of 
estimating  what  the  dimensions  of  a 
given  piece  of  engraving  copy  will  be 
after  it  is  reduced  is  a  profound  mys- 
tery. In  reality,  few  things  are  simpler. 

Dimensions  are  all  based  on  a  simple 
diagonal  line,  drawn  from  the  upper 
left-hand  corner  of  the  photograph  or 
picture  to  be  reduced,  to  the  lower 
right-hand  corner.  In  ordering  an  en- 
graving to  fit  a  standard  newspaper  col- 
umn of  two  and  a  quarter  inches,  for 
instance,  the  advertiser  knows  the  width 
of  the  engraving  that  will  result.  But 
sometimes  he  is  at  sea  to  the  depth 
a  given  piece  of  engraving  copy  will  give. 

This  diagram  shows  how  to  find  the 
depth  of  the  finished  engraving  by  meas- 
uring off  its  width : 


j 

A                                       -N 

\      1 

Si**  of         \            | 

******  V%  ^ 

i                     \ 

By  laying  a  ruler  across  the  copy, 
horizontally,  or  east  to  west,  after  draw- 
ing this  light  diagonal  line  from  the  two 
corners,  he  can  move  it  up  and  down 
until  he  has  found  the  point  at  which 
there  is  just  two  and  a  quarter  inches 
between  the  diagonal  line  and  the  left- 
hand  margin  of  the  copy.  The  distance 
from  this  line,  then,  to  the  top  of  the 
copy  is  the  depth  the  plate  will  be  when 
reduced. 

This  diagram  shows  how  the  line 
should  be  drawn  through  copy — it  may, 
of  course,  be  just  an  imaginary  line,  in- 
dicated by  a  taut  string  or  ruler : 


The  principle,  once  committed  to 
memory  is  about  as  likely  to  be  for- 
gotten as  the  fact  that  two  times  two 
makes  four.  It  is  a  piece  of  printing 
knowledge  that  will  be  useful  every 
week  in  the  work  of  an  advertising  man. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  preparation 
of  engraving  copy  to  fit  a  given  space. 
For  example,  an  advertising  man  finds 
it  desirable  to  make  up  a  group  of  news- 
paper clippings  to  fit  a  space  the  size 
of  a  page  of  this  book.  Trimming  the 
margins  off  a  solid  type  page  of  ad- 
vertising carefully,  to  get  the  exact  size 
of  the  printed  matter  on  the  page,  he 
lays  it  at  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
of  a  large  sheet  of  white  card-board. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  have  the  margins 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


of  cardboard  and  printed  matter  exactly 
even.  Then  a  ruler  is  laid  on  the  print- 
ed page  from  upper  left-hand  corner  to 
lower  right,  and  a  diagonal  line  drawn 
through  the  printed  matter  and  straight 
on  down  the  big  sheet  of  white  card- 
board as  before. 

Intersect  this  diagonal  line  at  any 
point  and  mark  out  an  oblong  from  the 
point  of  intersection,  and  you  have  the 
proportions  for  a  piece  of  copy  the  size 
of  the  printed  page  you  want  to  fit.  Paste 
the  newspaper  clippings,  ads,  or  what- 
ever is  to  be  reproduced,  onto  this  ob- 
long, letting  them  come  up  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  cardboard.  When  done, 
send  the  copy  to  the  engraver,  with  di- 
rections to  reduce  to  the  width  of  the 
printed  page.  You  don't  have  to  worry 
about  depth.  It  will  come  out  all  right 
in  the  engraving. 

This,  by  the  way,  is  one  of  the  things 
taught  in  the  course  of  the  Chicago  Col- 
lege of  Advertising.  They  teach  possibly 
1,000  other  valuable  points  of  equal  im- 
portance— points  that  would  come  in 
mighty  handy  at  some  time  or  another. 

FOLLOW-UP    SYSTEMS   THAT 

WORK  ON  THE  "MARKED 

DOWN"    IDEA. 

One  summer  a  Chicago  woman  stopped 
at  an  obscure  New  England  village  and 
was  attracted  by  an  advertisement  in 
a  prominent  household  monthly,  offer- 
ing a  correspondence  course  in  cook- 
ing and  domestic'  science  for  $30,  the 
fee  which  seems  to  be  a  standard  price 
for  every  kind  of  mail  tuition.  An  in- 
quiry brought  explanatory  booklets,  with 
a  dignified  personal  letter,  and  these 
were  followed  by  another  letter  ten  days 
later.  The  inquirer  in  this  case  did  not 
reply.  Ten  days  after  the  second  letter 
a  third  was  received,  offering  a  special 
"summer  course"  in  cooking  at  the  re- 
duced price  of  $18.  This  was  ignored, 
likewise,  and  then  the  matter  dropped. 
Before  Christmas,  however,  the  inquirer 
received  a  fourth  letter,  informing  her 
that  she  was  one  of  fifty  fortunate  per- 
sons who  had  been  selected  to  take  a 
course  free,  as  a  means  of  advertising, 
and  that  she  would  be  enrolled  on  re- 
ceipt of  $4.50  to  pay  for  lesson  papers, 
postage  and  text-books. 

This  "marked  down"  plan  of  follow- 
up  work  seems  to  be  greatly  favored  by 


certain  classes  of  mail  order  advertis- 
ers. Many  of  the  correspondence  schools 
find  it  a  grand  old  standby.  In  other 
lines  the  "marked  down"  plan  is  in  fa- 
vor. 

A  very  little  thought  on  the  subject 
will  show  that  this  is  distinctly  a  de- 
moralizing influence  on  mail  order  busi- 
ness. The  correspondence  school  may 
make  money  by  bringing  the  public  in 
on  such  special  offers  and  reductions,  but 
where  one  person  is  caught  by  such  a 
transparent  scheme  there  are  fifty  who 
see  that  somebody  must  hold  the  bag. 
These  fifty  skeptical  persons  will  tell 
friends,  and  within  a  very  short  time 
the  advertising  of  that  correspondence 
school  will  be  discontinued  in  the  maga- 
zine. 

If  this  were  all,  it  wouldn't  matter. 
But  the  evil  goes  further.  The  adver- 
tising of  all  correspondence  schools  will 
be  discounted,  and  then  the  public  will 
easily  and  quickly  learn  to  discount  oth- 
er mail  advertising.  By  careful,  honest 
dealing,  the  best  firms  in  the  mail  trad- 
ing field  have  built  up  a  good  name  for 
mail  order  business,  rescuing  it  from 
the  fakirs  who  operated  in  a  small  way 
twenty  years  ago.  A  mail  price  is  now 
looked  upon  by  the  average  man  or 
woman  as  a  low  price,  and  therefore  a 
fixed  one,  and  honest,  "Marked  down" 
advertising  will  lead  to 'distrust,  and  the 
public  will  hesitate  to  send  its  money 
for  anything  until  it  is  sure  that  nobody 
can  get  the  goods  cheaper. 

The  "marked  down"  method  of  work- 
ing inquiries  is  really  an  attempt  to  do 
what  has  been  found  impossible  in  mail 
order  operations.  There  is  a  certain 
point  at  which  follow-up  work  must 
stop,  and  stop  with  great  abruptness. 
The  first  letter  will  bring  a  certain  per- 
centage of  cash  orders.  The  second  let- 
ter will  bring  another  certain  percentage. 
A  third  and  fourth  letter  may  bring  re- 
sults, depending  on  the  commodity  and 
its  price.  But  there  is  a  point  at  which 
wise  mail  order  advertisers  stop  follow- 
ing up.  Profit  ceases  beyond  it.  The 
"marked  down"  advertisers  evidently  do 
not  know  where  to  stop,  but  offer  the 
demoralizing  bait  of  reduced  prices, 
thinly  veiled  under  plausible  pretexts, 
until  they  run  their  proposition  into  the 
ground. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CERTAIN    ADVERTISING    ILLUS- 
TRATIONS MAY  BE  COPY- 
RIGHTED. 

In  the  circular  sent  to  applicants  for 
copyright  by  the  Librarian  of  Congress 
are  mentioned  things  that  are  not  pro- 
tected by  copyright.  This  includes  ad- 
vertisements. But  decisions  of  the  courts 
within  the  past  few  .years  furnish  a 
warning  to  advertisers  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  appropriating  other  advertisers' 
ideas  for  their  own  announcements.  The 
text  of  an  advertisement  has  never  been 
considered  in  an  infringement  suit,  but 
illustrations  have,  and  the  courts  hold 
that  when  advertising  pictures  are  of 
sufficient  artistic  merit  to  be  classed  as 
works  of  art  they  may  be  protected,  ir- 
respective of  their  use  as  advertisements. 
The  standard  of  advertising  art  is  be- 
ing raised  so  steadily  and  rapidly  that 
the  plagiarist  runs  considerable  risk  in 
picking  and  choosing  ideas  suitable  to 
appropriate. 

WISE  ECONOMY. 

The  mail  order  dealer  should  practice 
economical  business  methods.  Even  if 
one  has  a  very  profitable  proposition — 
one  which  will  allow  carelessness,  and. 
still  pay  a  good  margin  of  profit,  it  is 
not  advisable  to  take  advantage  of  that 
fact.  There  will  likely  be  competition 
some  day.  See  that  you  get  good  value 
for  every  cent  you  spend,  from  the  be- 
ginning, and  you  will  be  the  better  able 
to  meet  competition  when  it  comes. 

Much  has  been  said  about  the  value 
of  good  stationery,  and  well-printed  lit- 
erature, yet  this  sort  of  thing  can  be 
over-done.  It  doesn't  require  heavy 
plate  paper  and  lithographic  illustrations 
to  sell  a  washing  machine.  A  neatly 
printed  booklet,  on  paper  of  medium 
weight,  with  illustrations  that  show  the 
machine,  and  how  it  works,  is  all  that  is 
required.  The  kind  of  advertising  talk 
is  of  more  importance  than  ornate  cov- 
ers. 

Not  only  will  the  more  modest  book- 
let cost  less  for  printing  and  paper,  but 
it  will  permit  one  to  save  on  the  postage 
bill.  An  effective  little  booklet  can  be 
sent  out  under  a  one-cent  stamp.  Make 
the  booklet  a  trifle  heavier,  so  that  it 
and  the  envelope  weighs  slightly  over 
two  ounces,  and  it  will  cost  two  cents  to 


mail.    You  have  doubled  the  amount  of 
the  postage  account. 

If  one  does  print  a  heavy  expensive 
catalogue,  it  is  not  wise  to  send  it  out 
promiscuously.  Better  get  up  a  smaller 
booklet  or  circular  to  send  to  a  list  of 
people  that  you  are  not  sure  will  be  in- 
terested in  your  proposition.  Those 
who  want  to  know  more  concerning  the 
matter  will  write  for  the  large  catalogue, 
if  attention  is  called  to  the  matter  in 
the  booklet. 

NEW  MAIL  REGULATIONS. 

By  a  new  arrangement  of  the  Post- 
office  Department  any  person  may  mail 
circulars,  catalogues,  samples,  etc.,  in 
lots  of  2,000  or  more,  without  stamps. 
Anything  mailable  as  third  or  fourth 
class  matter  is  included  in  the  new 
regulation,  but  the  number  of  pieces 
must  be  not  less  than  2,000,  and  all  must 
be  alike.  Certain  requirements  as  to 
printing  of  the  sender's  name  and  ad- 
dress on  envelopes  and  wrappers  are 
imposed,  and  the  mailing  can  only  be 
done  by  means  of  blanks  furnished  by 
local  postmasters,  who  can  give  direc- 
tions to  advertisers  who  wish  to  take 
advantage  of  the  convenience. 

SIMPLICITY. 

Plain  speaking  in  the  advertisement — 
little  words  and  not  too  many  of  them- 
— is  one  kind  of  simplicity.  Another 
kind  has  to  do  with  the  proposition  it- 
self. When  the  proposition  has  been 
simplified  the  man  who  writes  the  ad 
thinks  simply  and  writes  that  way. 

Intricacy  in  advertising  comes  from 
trying  to  tell  too  much.  Some  men  can 
say  "Royal  Baking  Powder  is  absolutely 
pure,"  and  say  it  so  earnestly,  force- 
fully, that  people  believe.  Other  men 
think  it  necessary  to  give  the  history  of 
cream  of  tartar  and  tell  how  the  word 
"pure"  came  originally  from  the  San- 
skrit "pu,"  meaning  "undefiled."  Such 
writing  is  frequently  interesting.  But 
it's  seldom  advertising. 

All  the  physiology,  pharmacy  and  ma- 
teria  medica  of  a  complex  subject  have 
been  compressed  in  the  phrase,  "Hood's 
cures."  Whole  volumes  of  photographic 
and  refraction  problems  are  embodied  in 
"It's  in  the  lens."  Advertising  must  de- 
liver the  finished  product — not  perplex 
readers  with  raw  material  and  processes. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CATCHING  ON  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  mail  order  trade  is  an  old  story 
with  Chicago  and  other  western  de- 
partment stores,  many  of  which  have 
built  up  large  business  by  energetic  ad- 
vertising in  general  mediums.  But  New 
York  department  stores  have  always 
been  skeptical  of  this  side  line,  so  far  as 
its  application  to  their  own  traffic  was 
concerned,  holding  that  in  the  populous 
East  everybody  is  in  reach  of  large  mar- 
kets and  no  necessity  exists  for  mail- 
buying. 

Now,  however,  the  success  of  the  idea 
in  the  West  has  drawn  the  eastern  stores 
into  general  magazine  advertising.  The 
metropolitan  suburban  trade  alone  _  is 
somewhat  stupendous,  for  within  deliv- 
ering distance  of  New  York  live  more 
than  7,500,000  people.  The  suburbanite 
no  longer  carries  bundles, '  as  per  the 
comic  paper  joke,  but  orders  today 
through  a  catalogue  the  merchandise 
that  will  be  delivered  tomorrow  by  the 
big  stores'  wagons.  Beyond  the  wagon 
radius  lives  a  public  three  or  four  times 
as  large,  that  receives  its  goods  almost 
as  quickly  by  express,  and  beyond  this 
clientele  there  is  still  another  that  at- 
taches enough  prestige  to  the  trademark, 
"New  York,"  to  buy  from  the  metropo- 
lis. 

New  York's  mail  trade,  in  fact,  is 
based  on  its  reputation,  whereas  that  of 
the  West  is  largely  a  matter  of  cheap- 
ness and  convenience.  The  staid  old 
house  of  Tiffany,  for  instance,  finds  it 
profitable  to  advertise  prices  in  general 
magazines — and  the  ten-cent  monthlies 
bring  as  good  returns  as  the  higher- 
priced  publications.  In  answer  to  each 
inquiry  a  leather-bound  catalogue  cost- 
ing fifty  cents  is  mailed,  and  the  in- 
quiries received  are  so  uniformly  good 
that  90  per  cent  of  the  patrons  thus  at- 
tracted have  a  sound  rating  in  Dunn  or 
Bradstreet's. 

Where  will  the  mail  trade  stop  in  the 
East?  This  business  built  up  by  the 
department  stores  is  scarcely  a  year  old. 
Already  the  volume  of  such  advertising 
is  increasing  in  the  more  popular  maga- 
zines, and  is  running  over  into  the  re- 
ligious press,  the  farm  papers  and  mail 
order  journals.  If  eastern  people  buy 
by  mail  from  the  big  stores  as  a  side 
issue,  they  will  also  buy  from  houses 
that  cater  to  nothing  else  but  the  mail 
trade. 

Will    New    York    eventually    have    its 


Montgomery   Ward   &    Co.    and    Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.? 

KEEP   UP   STEAM. 

Many  men  who  start  in  business  push 
their  work  with  enthusiasm,  so  that  they 
make  an  immediate  success.  But  as  the 
business  grows,  their  interest  and  energy 
wane.  They  give  less  time  to  business 
affairs,  and  more  to  pleasure. 

This  is  all  right,  if  it  is  possible  to 
hire  men  who  will  do  as  good  .work, 
and  who  will  take  as  much  interest  in 
pushing  it,  as  did  the  proprietor  of  the 
business  at  the  start.  But  such  men  are 
not  easy  to  find — they  are  usually  in 
business  for  themselves — or  are  going 
to  be. 

It  is  all  right  for  the  proprietor  to 
delegate  some  of  the  detail  work  that 
he  formerly  did,  to  subordinates,  but  he 
should  keep  his  hand  on  the  throttle. 
He  should  see  that  the  work  is  being 
done  right.  He  should  see  that  the  busi- 
ness is  being  pushed  with  the  maximum 
of  energy.  He  should  see  that  the  firm 
goes  out  after  business  with  as  much 
vim  as  it  did  in  the  days  when  he  was 
doing  three  men's  work  himself ;  he 
should  see  that  just  as  much  atten- 
tion and  care  are  devoted  to  holding 
customers  of  the  house. 

Another  thing,  in  many  cases,  it  will 
not  do  for  the  proprietor  to  turn  over 
the  task  of  meeting  customers,  and 
discussing  business  offairs,  to  subordin- 
ates. It  is  desirable  that  the  head  of  the 
business  should  be  known  to  the  cus- 
tomers of  the  house.  It  should  be  un- 
derstood that  he  is  no  figurehead,  but 
really  at  the  head  of  the  concern— the 
man  who  makes  the  plans.  If  customers 
come  to  identify  the  business  with  an 
employe,  that  employe  can  carry  away 
a  large  share  of  the  business,  when  he 
wishes  to  start  up  for  himself. 

The  proprietor  can  turn  over  the  de- 
tail  work  to  employes,  but  as  the  busi- 
ness grows,  there  will  be  more  execu- 
tive work  for  him  to  attend  to,  and  this 
is  work  that  he  cannot  profitably  trust 
to  others.  A  business  cannot  run  it- 
self. No  matter  how  well  established 
it  may  be,  nor  how  well  systematized, 
it  must  have  a  man  at  its  head  to  decide 
things  and  to  keep  things  running. 

The  Stewart  store  was  at  one  time 
the  greatest  retail  establishment  in  New 
York.  Hilton  &  Co.  had  the  organiza- 
tion and  the  prestige  that  A.  T.  Stewart 


PRINCIPLES    OF   TUB   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


had  built  up,  when  they  took  over  the 
store  at  Stewart's  death.  But  the  store's 
trade  dwindled ;  instead  of  making  prof- 
its on  the  capital  invested  they  ran  mil- 
lions to  the  bad  during  the  few  years 
they  had  the  store.  It  was  a  manager 
that  store  wanted,  and  found  when 
John  Wanamaker  bought  the  business. 

Don't  lose  interest  in  your  business, 
or  you  will  lose  the  business  itself. 
Every  business  must  have  brains  and 
energy  at  its  center,  or  the  wheels  will 
stop  turning. 

A  MAIL  ORDER  INSTALLMENT 
HOUSE. 

Installment  firms  in  the  large  cities 
are  able  to  do  a  large  business,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  such  a  trade  can  be 
worked  up  in  the  country  districts.  The 
only  trouble  will  be  the  expense  and 
difficulty  in  making  collections. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  farmer  likes 
to  get  things  on  credit  from  his  home 
merchant — and  this  is  true.  He  likes 
to  run  a  bill  for  groceries  and  other 
necessities  until  he  makes  a  crop. 

But  when  the  farmer  is  ready  to  buy 
a  sewing  machine,  an  organ  or  a  stove 
he  usually  has  the  money  on  hand. 

The  installment  plan  appeals  more 
strongly  to  people  who  are  working  on 
salary,  and  who  spend  all  they  receive 
as  they  go  along.  By  paying  a  certain 
amount  weekly  they  obtain  goods  they 
would  never  be  able  to  acquire  in  any 
other  way,  for  they  would  never  save 
a  large  enough  sum  to  pay  cash  down. 

SPECIALIZE. 

Don't  try  to  do  everything  yourself — 
don't  have  any  one  employe  working  at 
too  many  different  things  if  you  wish 
any  one  of  those  things  accomplished  in 
a  satisfactory  manner.  It  takes  a  long 
time  to  learn  to  do  a  thing  with  facility. 
The  time  of  a  man  who  knows  how  to 
do  a  thing  is  too  valuable  to  be  wasted 
in  other  work  that  he  does  not  thor- 
oughly understand.  No  man  has  the 
time  to  learn  everything  thoroughly. 
Better  find  out  what  you  are  best  fitted 
for  and  then  specialize  on  that.  Devote 
your  whole  attention  to  it.  If  you  can 
do  a  thing  better  than  the  average  man 
can  do  it  you  will  find  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  business  or  a  position. 

It  makes  no  difference  whether  the 
thing  you  know  how  to  do  is  writing 


advertising  or  hammering  iron,  whether 
you  are  an  adsmith  or  a  blacksmith. 
Learn  to  do  it  well,  learn  to  accomplish 
results,  and  the  world  is  willing  to  hand 
out  good  money  in  return  for  your 
work. 

There  is  a  story  being  told  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  small  business  who  consid- 
ered himself  somewhat  of  a  mechanic. 
The  office  typewriter  got  out  of  order 
and  he  undertook  to  fix  it.  He  tinkered 
at  it  for  a  week,  neglected  far  more 
important  work,  and  finally  called  in  a 
mechanic,  who  fixed  it  up  in  an  hour  at 
a  cost  of  $2.  While  the  typewriter  was 
out  of  order  the  stenographer  had  been 
answering  letters  with  pen  and  ink,  and 
had  got  far  behind  in  her  work.  The 
manager  of  the  business  was  behind  in 
his  work,  and  he  was,  a  man  who  could 
command  fifty  a  week  if  he  were  not 
running  a  business  of  his  own.  He 
couldn't  get  that  sum  through  fixing 
typewriters. 

Many  men  who,  though  not  likely  to 
waste  time  in  this  way,  do  trifling  tasks 
about  the  office  that  could  be  as  well 
done  by  a  low-salaried  employe.  The 
man  who  can  plan  and  manage  should 
put  in  his  time  doing  those  things. 

SOME  LEGAL  POINTS. 

A  cash  sale  is  a  conditional  sale,  and 
the  title  of  the  goods  remains  with  the 
seller  until  the  conditions  are  fulfilled, 
or  the  conditions  waived.  Delivery  with- 
out payment  does  not  vest  the  title  with 
the  purchaser,  unless  such,  waiver  can  be 
shown. 

The  validity  of  a  signature  depends 
not  only  upon  how  it  was  made,  but 
also  upon  the  intention  of  the  signer. 
Even  if  the  paper  is  signed  otherwise 
than  in  the  customary  manner,  or  in 
the  customary  place,  if  it  can  be"  shown 
that  the  party  so  signing  it  intended  to 
enter  into  the  implied  contract,  or  in- 
tended to  bind  himself  by  the  instru- 
ment so  signed,  the  signature  is  binding. 

An  instrument  does  not  even  need  to 
be  signed  by  the  manual  act  of  the  per- 
son who  is  making  the  contract.  In 
signing  important  papers,  it  is  customary 
to  have  another  *write  the  name  of  a 
person  not  able  to  write  his  own .  sig- 
nature, and  to  have  the  party  making 
the  contract  write  his  "mark"  between 
his  Christian  and  surnames.  But,  if  an- 
other signs  the  instrument  at  the  direc- 
tion of  the  party  who  should  sign  the 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


93 


instrument,  it  answers  the  same  pur- 
pose. For  instance,  if  a  party  were  to 
.  make  a  note,  and  ask  his  wife,  child  or 
an  employe  to  sign  same,  such  signature 
would  be  binding  as  his  own. 

In  the  same  way,  a  rubber  stamp 
signature  is  valid,  if  made  by  a  person 
having  authority  to  act  for  the  principal. 
This  rule  comes  from  the  principle  of 
the  agency,  which  holds  one  person  for 
the  acts  of  another,  if  the  former  has 
given  the  latter  authority  to  act  for  him. 

The  above  is  the  common  law  rule. 
In  some  cases,  however,  the  statute  law 
requires  that  certain  papers  should  be 
signed  in  special  ways.  Such  papers 
must  therefore  be  so  signed  in  order 
to  meet  the  acceptance  of  the  authori- 
ties. 

A  partner  is  responsible  for  the  entire 
indebtedness  of  the  firm  in  which  he 
has  an  interest.  When  all  the  partners 
can  be  reached,  they  are  held  pro  rata 
for  the  interest  each  had  in  the  concern, 
but  if  property  of  one  or  more  of  the 
partners  is  insufficient  to  meet  the  pro 
rata  share  of  the  indebtedness,  other 
partners  must  make  it  good,  if  they 
have  the  assets  to  do  so.  All  partners 
are  held  for  the  acts  of  the  one,  if  he 
acts  in  good  faith,  with  the  interests  of 
the  firm  in  view,  and  without  culpable 
negligence.  They  must  stand  their  pro 
rata  share  of  losses  made  through  an 
error  of  judgment. 

LARGE  AND  SMALL  PROFITS. 

Large  sales  at  a  small  percentage  of 
profit  is  the  modern  business  method. 
But  on  an  exclusive  specialty  it  is  some- 
times advisable  to  take  a  large  profit. 
This  is  especially  so  if  the  specialty  sells 
to  a  limited  class. 

It  may  be  noted  that  because  a  manu- 
facturer or  dealer  makes  a  large  profit 
he  is  not  necessarily  giving  poor  value 
for  the  money.  As  an  illustration  of 
this,  take  a  new  machine  which  enables 
an  operator  to  do  five  times  as  much 
work  as  "he  could  formerly  do.  Even 
though  the  manufacturer  makes  500  per 
cent  profit  it  may  be  an  extremely  profit- 
able investment  for  the  people  for  whom 
it  was  invented. 

But  large  profits  do  not  usually  last 
long.  Competing  goods  soon  come  into 
the  field  and  prices  speedily  tumble.  It 
is  rarely  that  a  manufacturer  can  have 
the  field  without  competition.  This  is  a 
good  thing  for  the  general  public,  even 


though   it   may  not   suit   inventors   and 
promoters. 

Many  goods  that  sell  at  several  times 
their  manufacturing  cost  still  do  not  pay 
the  immense  profits  that  one  might  think 
they  should.  There  is  generally  lots  of 
competition  in  the  field,  and  the  selling 
expenses  are  large. 

MAGAZINE  PUBLICITY. 

In  recent  issues  of  Profitable  Adver- 
tising there  has  been  a  rather  heated 
discussion  of  the  respective  merits  of 
magazines  and  newspapers,  as  general 
publicity  mediums.  Frank  G.  Macomber 
holding  that  the  advertiser  with  an  an- 
nual appropriation  of  $10,000  a  year 
would  better  use  the  dailies,  while  T. 
Balmer  and  W.  C.  Rowland  contend 
that  the  $10,000  advertiser  would  better 
use  the  magazines,  and  not  to  use  mag- 
azine until  his  appropriation  reached  the 
hundred  thousand  mark. 

But  does  not  something  depend  upon 
the  class  of  goods  that  are  to  be  mar- 
keted? For  instance,  with  goods  that 
appeal  to  the  masses,  the  advertiser 
would  better  get  his  goods  on  sale  in  a 
limited  territory,  and  then  use  the  dail- 
ies to  create  a  demand.  Of  course,  it  is 
the  contention  of  Messrs.  Howland  and 
Balmer  that  the  magazine  advertising 
will  create  such  a  demand  for  the  adver- 
tiser's goods  that  dealers  will  be  forced 
to  put  them  in,  to  meet  this  demand. 
But  the  advertiser  who  acts  upon  this 
idea  must  have  a  large  bank  account 
and  a  larger  store  of  patience  if  he  is 
ever  to  see  results. 

Let  us  show  why  this  is  so.  Suppose 
we  are  advertising  a  new  biscuit  or 
breakfast  food.  Each  grocer  in  town 
we  will  say  caters  to  about  225  families. 
One  family  in  fifteen  purchases  one  of 
the  magazines  in  which  the  advertising 
appears.  Two  out  of  fifteen  are  in- 
terested enough  to  inquire  of  the  grocer 
if  he  keeps  the  biscuit.  Will  he  stock 
up  with  new  bisciut  in  order  to  meet 
this  limited  demand?  Even  the  two 
who  ask  will  in  most  cases  be  satisfied 
with  "something  just  as  good." 

It  may  be  said  that  these  figures  are 
too  low,  that  more  than  one  family  in 
fifteen  buys  a  magazine.  Perhaps,  but 
Messrs.  Balmer  and  Howland  say  that 
the  advertiser  should  use  only  a  few  of 
the  strongest  magazines.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion if  one  family  in  fifteen  would  see 
the  ad.  Certainly  it  would  have  to  be 


94 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


a  strong  ad  and  it  must  appear  many 
times  before  two  out  of  fifteen  would 
ask  for  the  goods. 

Suppose  you  stock  up  the  grocers  in 
this  territory,  and  then  use  the  news- 
papers. You  can  bring  tne  goods  to  the 
attention  of  practically  every  family  in 
town.  You  can  do  it  daily.  The  adver- 
tising in  the  newspapers  is  backed  up 
by  signs  and  display  of  the  goods  in  the 
stores.  The  advertising  is  making  sales, 
not  creating  a  languid  interest,  by  a 
long,  slow  process. 

To  be. sure,  there  are  some  classes  of 
specialties  which  can  be  sold  by  direct 
mail  order  methods,  in  places  where 
dealers  do  not  handle  them,  and  in  such 
cases  the  right  kind  of  magazine  adver- 
tising can  be  made  to  pay  well.  Dealers 
can  be  forced  to  stock  up  by  showing 
them  the  amount  of  trade  they  are  los- 
ing by  not  handling  the  goods.  Every 
consumer  who  orders  may  be  required 
to  send  the  name  of  his  dealer,  and  a 
few  orders  will  be  leverage  enough  to 
move  the  retailer.  This  is  a  different 
matter  from  asking  for  the  goods,  and 
then  taking  something  else,  when  they 
are  not  in  stock. 

The  general  publicity  advertiser  should 
not  wait  for  the  advertising  to  make  his 
market.  If  he  advertises  wisely  and 
well  it  will  be  of  great  assistance,  but 
to  rely  upon  it  absolutely  is  to  invite 
failure. 

He  should  in  the  meantime  attempt 
to  make  a  wholesale  market  for  the 
goods.  He  should  secure  the  co-opera- 
tion of  retailers,  or  should  have  a  sell- 
ing plan  that  will  secure  their  interest  in 
the  success  of  his  campaign.  It  is  hard 
to  fight  against  the  indifference  or  ani- 
mosity of  the  retail  dealer.  Magazine 
advertising  is  all  right  in  its  place,  but 
the  advertiser  must  not  think  his  page 
ad  is  going  to  create  such  a  wild  desire 
for  the  goods  that  people  all  over  the 
country  are  going  to  rise  up  and  mob 
the  retailers  in  order  to  secure  the  kind 
that's  advertised. 

DISTRIBUTING  ADVERTISING. 

The  placing  of  advertising  directly 
into  the  homes  of  the  people  by  the 
means  of  distributors  has  its  place  in 
the  field  of  modern  publicity.  But  it 
cannot  displace  other  forms  of  advertis- 
ing, nor  is  it  equally  valuable  for  all 
advertisers. 

There    are    two    principal    classes    of 


advertisers  who  can  use  the  distributor's 
services,  who  has  his  goods  placed  with 
retailers  in  the  section  to  be  covered, 
and  the  retailer,  to  fully  cover  the  terri- 
tory in  which  he  can  hope  to  make  sales. 

Among  general  advertisers,  the  medi- 
cine men  find  distribution  particularly 
profitable.  Their  sales  are  made  to 
practically  every  family  among  the 
masses  of  the  people.  When  a  calen- 
dar, an  almanac,  a  cook  book  or  other 
literature  is  handed  out  to  a  person,  it 
can  be  depended  upon  that  in  most  cases 
he  is  a  possible  customer.  He  is  likely 
to  have  some, complaint,  and  the  thances 
are  he  will  be  willing  to  try  a  proprie- 
tary medicine,  if  the  advertising  mat- 
ter is  sufficiently  convincing. 

A  well-gotten-up  almanac  or  other 
booklet  is  kept  and  read  in  the  ordinary 
family.  Literature  of  this  kind  gives 
the  advertiser  the  opportunity  of  telling 
his  story  at  greater  length  than  he  can 
in  the  newspaper  or  magazine  ad.  The 
value  of  this  class  of  advertising  can 
no  longer  be  questioned.  Ayer's  Al- 
manac is  the  best  advertising  put  out 
by  the  firm.  That  fact  was  proven  one 
year  when  the  appropriation  was  much 
reduced.  Hood's  calendar  and  the  lit- 
erature that  goes  in  the  green  envelope 
with  it  is  one  of  the  most  effective 
forms  of  Hood  advertising.  These  cal- 
endars are  placed  by  distributors  in  the 
larger  places,  by  the  dealer  in  the  small- 
er towns.  In  many  cases  it  is  well  to 
distribute  samples  of  the  advertised  ar- 
ticle along  with  the  advertising  matter. 
The  sample,  if  good,  clinches  the  argu- 
ment. 

The  retailer  can  profitably  use  circu- 
lars to  advertise  his  special  bargain 
offers,  especially  mid-winter  and  mid- 
summer clearances.  Many  people  do  not 
see  the  ads  published  in  the  local  dailies. 
This  is  true  of  those  who  live  in  the 
advertiser's  home  town.  Many  people 
prefer  the  papers  published  in  the  near- 
est metropolitan  city,  and  only  purchase 
the  local  sheet  occasionally.  Then,  the 
nearby  small  towns  can  be  distributed ; 
there  is  *  only  a  comparative  small  cir- 
culation of  the  local  paper  in  these  usu- 
ally. Circulars  can  be  thrown  in  the 
farmers'  dooryards  by  the  distributors 
as  they  pass  in  wagon  from  one  village 
to  another. 

The  special  bargain  offering  will  bring 
many  new  patrons  to  the  store,  and  a 
fair  proportion  of  them  will  become  reg- 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


95 


ular  customers,  if  they  are  given  fair 
treatment.  It  will  be  wise  to  take  the 
address  of  those  from  out  of  town,  and 
put  their  names  on  the  mailing  list. 

Circular  distributing  is  not  a  satis- 
factory method  for  most  mail  dealers. 
Too  large  a  proportion  of  the  people 
circulated  will  not  take  the  trouble  to 
order  goods  by  mail.  In  spite  of  the 
immense  mail  trade  throughout  the 
country,  many  people  have  not  contract- 
ed the  mail  buying  habit. 

It  is  better  for  the  mail  dealer  to  buy 
or  rent  late  letters  from  a  class  of  peo- 
ple who  have  shown  that  they  would 
be  interested  in  the  advertiser's  goods, 
and  that  they  would  send  for  them,  if 
prices  and  values  were  right.  It  will 
cost  little  more  than  to  have  the  matter 
distributed,  and  the  returns  will  be  far 
larger. 

Few  mail  dealers  appeal  to  everyone, 
and  experiments  in  distributing  by  those 
firms  whose  goods  do  appeal  to  prac- 
tically every  family  have  been  far  from 
satisfactory. 

GIVE  YOUR  CUSTOMERS 
ATTENTION. 

The  mail  dealer  is  likely  to  be  both- 
ered with  fool  questions,  even  though  he 
tells  all  about  his  proposition,  plamly 
and  clearly  in  the  advertising  matter. 
Some  people  will  not  read  carefully,  and 
even  if  they  see  the  information  cannot 
adapt  it  to  their  own  use,  unless  it  is 
applied  specially  to  them. 

But  these  cheerful  idiots  often  have 
money  to  spend,  and  it  is  not  profitable 
for  the  dealer  to  yield  to  his  feeling  of 
irritation.  In  fact,  there  is  no  excuse 
for  his  so  doing.  When  one  is  dealing 
with  customers  face  to  face  there  is  far 
more  excuse  for  letting  their  idiosyncra- 
sies get  on  one's  nerves.  The  mail  deal- 
er has  time  to  think  before  replying,  and 
if  he  is  cut  out  for  a  mail  order  man  he 
will  reply  courteously  and  fully,  answer- 
ing all  questions. 

People  who  are  enough  interested  in 
one's  proposition  to  go  to  the  trouble 
and  expense  of  making  inquiries  will 
commonly  order  the  goods  if  their 
queries  are  answered  satisfactorily. 
And  leave  out  the  sarcasm,  even  though 
you  think  they  are  too  dull  to  see 
through  it.  Leave  it  out. 

But  in  order  to  reduce  questions  to  the 
minimum,  the  advertiser  should  strive 


to  answer  all  possible  inquiries  in   ad- 
vance. 

DO  NOT  SELL  TRASH. 

Advertisers  should  not  sell  trash,  even 
if  they  sell  it  at  a  low  price.  Goods 
that  do  not  wear  and  give  satisfactory 
service  are  dear  at  any  price.  Low  price 
is  not  the  first  consideration,  but  the 
goods.  Good  values  is  a  better  watch- 
word than  low  prices.  If  a  customer 
buys  trashy  goods,  no  matter  how  cheap 
he  gets  them,  he  will  set  the  dealer  down 
as  a  "cheap  John"  and  will  pass  him  by 
when  he  wants  goods  for  quality.  This 
is  as  true  in  the  case  of  the  mail  dealer 
as  in  retail  advertising.  Confidence  is 
at  the  very  heart  of  the  mail  trade.  If 
a  person  sends  money  in  advance  for 
goods  he  has  never  seen  it  is  because 
he  believes  in  the  advertiser's  honesty 
and  good  faith.  If  the  mail  dealer 
makes  good,  if  he  gives  such  satisfactory 
values  as  to  retain  the  buyer's  confi- 
dence, he  can  hold  the  trade.  He  will 
receive  other  orders.  If  he  violates  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  he  will  not 
get  the  second  chance  to  prove  the 
worth  of  his  goods.  Sell  meritorious 
goods  at  a  reasonable  price. 

HOW  MUCH  CAPITAL. 

Thousands  of  times  the  question  has 
been  asked,  "How  much  capital  will  I 
have  to  have  to  start  a  mail  order  busi- 
ness ?"  So  many  things  enter  into  such 
a  question  that  to  give  one  set  figure  is 
impossible. 

It  depends  a  great  deal  on  who  is  go- 
-ing  to  use  the  capital,  their  capabilities 
to  rightly  use  it,  and  the  kind  of  mail 
order  business  one  desires  to  start.  The 
nature  of  the  business  to  be  carried  on 
has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  amount 
of  capital  that  is  required.  In  every 
case  the  more  capital  one  can  command 
the  better  one  is  prepared,  of  course. 
Again,  one  particular  kind  of  mail  busi- 
ness will  not  require  the  amount  of 
money  to  start  it  as  will  another. 

The  line  of  articles  one  wants  to  ad- 
vertise and  carry  may  be  of  such  a  na- 
ture as  to  require  an  investment  of  quite 
a  sum ;  but  another  may  be  one  requir- 
ing hardly  no  investment  whatever.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  there  is  a  head 
full  of  .brains  in  the  deal — a  head  that 
has  thoughts  in  it  that  are  as  good  as 
money,  then  small  capital  is  not  much 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


of  a  barrier  to  success  in  the  mail  order 
business. 

Many  instances  are  on  record  where 
great  big  successes  have  been  made  on 
surprisingly  small  capital ;  but  make  a 
note  of  it,  each  case  was  backed  up  either 
by  articles  that  happened  to  be  "whirl- 
wind" sellers  or  men  with  brains. 

If  "starting"  were  the  end  of  it,  a  few 
dollars  might  do,  but  as  "continuing  aft- 
er starting"  is  the  slogan,  a  few  dollars 
more  than  a  "few"  dollars  should  be 
easy  of  access.  Someone  has  said  that 
"nothing  is  impossible  to  the  deter- 
mined," which  may  be  applied  to  a  man 
seeking  success  in  mail  trading  as  well 
as  to  a  man  having  any  other  ambition. 

ALMANACS  AND  ANNUALS. 

Many  concerns  which  indulge  in  no 
spectacular  newspaper  campaigns  are 
yet  able  to  hold  or  increase  their  busi- 
ness from  year  to  year.  They  are  ad- 
vertising, even  though  those  interested 
in  the  usual  for.ms  of  advertising  are  not 
aware  of  that  fact.  Many  such  concerns 
put  out  millions  of  almanacs  or  annuals 
each  year,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
these  annuals  go  into  homes  where  they 
are  kept  and  referred  to  for  a  year  or 
more. 

Among  the  oldest  and  most  familiar 
of  the  almanacs  is  Hostetter's,  with  its 
blue  cover.  Beside  the  almanac  proper 
with  its  calendar,  moon's  phases,  infor- 
mation concerning  coming  eclipses,  etc., 
the  booklet  is  made  up  of  a  melange  of 
Hostetter  advertising,  wise  and  philo- 
sophical sayings,  useful  information, 
jokes  and  humorous  illustrations. 

Hostetter  does  little  or  no  newspaper 
advertising  in  these  days,  and  yet  there 
is  still  a  large  call  for  it  in  country  dis- 
tricts, owing  to  this  little  blue  almanac. 

Ayer  also  issues  an  old-fashioned  al- 
manac, along  much  the  same  lines  as 
they  have  done  for  years.  The  news- 
papers carry  little  Ayer  advertising  in 
these  days,  and  the  magazines  none  at 
all,  the  annual  is  relied  upon  to  keep 
Ayer's  customers  in  mind  of  their  favor- 
ite remedies.  Some  years  ago  an  experi- 
men  was  made  by  this  firm  of  decreas- 
ing the  almanac  appropriation  and  in- 
creasing the  newspaper  advertising,  but 
the  result  was  that  they  went  back  to 
almanacs. 

C.  I.  Hood  &  Co.  do  not  get  out  an 
almanac,  but  instead  they  put  out  the 


most  popular  and  widely  circulated  cal- 
endar produced  in  America.  They  aim 
to  put  this  calendar  in  practically  every 
American  home,  and  they  very  nearly 
succeed.  The  calendar  is  enclosed  in  a 
blue  envelope,  and  booklets  and  other 
literature  is  enclosed  with  it.  But  this 
concern  also  aims  to  make  the  calendar 
valuable  aside  from  its  beauty  and  in- 
-trinsic  worth.  On  the  back  of  each  leaf 
containing  the  dates  is  weather  fore- 
casts, between  the  calendar  leaves  are 
other  leaves,  some  of  which  contain 
coupons  entitling  the  holder  to  a  collec- 
tion of  flower  or  vegetable  seeds,  others 
contain  coupons  entitling  him  to  enter  a 
prize  puzzle  contest,  etc.  A  nominal 
amount  in  stamps,  or  a  trade  mark  from 
the  Hood  products  is  required  in  addi- 
tion to  the  coupon. 

Dr.  Pierce  gets  out  two  annuals  in  the 
way  of  memorandum  books,  one  for 
ladies  and  one  for  men.  Each  book  con- 
tains a  great  deal  of  advertising  matter, 
as  well  as  the  blank  pages  for  accounts. 
The  book  for  ladies,  of  course,  is  largely 
devoted  to  advertising  the  Favorite  Pre- 
scription, which  Mr.  Bok  had  his  little 
knock  at  last  summer. 

Many  advertisers  would  take  the 
ground  that  the  palmy  days  for  this 
class  of  advertising  were  numbered.  It 
would  doubtless  seem  that  with  the  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  periodicals  sent 
out,  country  people  would  find  no  time 
to  read  an  almanac  or  other  annual.  But 
they  should  remember  that  every  one  in 
the  country  districts  does  not  take  the 
dailies.  Comparatively  few  buy  enough 
reading  matter  to  fully  occupy  their 
time  during  the  winter  months.  _  Even 
if  they  did  have  enough  reading  of 
other  kinds  to  keep  them  busy,  there  are 
lots  of  country  people  who  would  turn 
to  the  almanac  or  annual  instead.  These 
men  who  get  up  the  almanacs  under- 
stand pretty  well  what  the  average  coun- 
try person  likes  to  read.  The  day  of  the 
annual  has  not  passed  by  any  means.  It 
will  not  pass  until  every  farmer  and 
farm  hand  has  a  college  degree. 

IDEAS. 

The  mail  order  business  holds  vast 
opportunities  for  men  with  ideas.  A 
few  years  ago  a  druggist  living  in  Rav- 
enswood,  111.,  thought  that  there  was  a 
good  field  open  in  selling  country  doc- 
tors the -medicines  that  they  prescribed 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


97 


for  their  patients,  so  that  they  could 
handle  their  own  drugs  instead  of  send- 
ing their  patients  to  a  drug  store.  This 
was  the  origin  of  the  country  doctors 
handling  the  medicines  they  prescribed 
and  has  in  a  few  years  grown  into  one 
of  the  largest  mail  order  enterprises  in 
the  country,  having  over  20,000  steady 
customers.  At  about  this  same  time 
another  man  discovered  that  surgical 
instruments  supplied  to  doctors^  were 
charged  for  at  several  times  their  real 
value — in  fact,  most  of  them  were  com- 
mon hardware,  with  the  name  "surg- 
ical" attached.  He  started  to  furnish 
surgical  instruments  at  a  fair  margin 
of  profit,  first  taking  up  a  few  simple 
articles  that  his  capital  would  allow 
him  to  handle,  and  gradually  increas- 
ing. Today  he  has  the  bulk  of  the 
trade  among  country  doctors  in  this 
line,  built  up  by  liberal  advertising  with 
catalogues  and  circulars  and  space  in 
medical  and  surgical  journals  reaching 
country  doctors. 

STARTING  RIGHT  IN  THE  MAIL 
ORDER  BUSINESS. 

The  beginner  who  proposes  to  start 
a  mail  order  business  is  beset  with  a 
thousand  handicaps,  doubts  and  per- 
plexities. The  greatest  of  these  is  of 
course,  his  own  inexperience.  Many 
people  see  others  make  a  success  of 
mail  order  business  and  get  a  notion 
that  they  may  just  as  well  participate  in 
the  enormous  profits  they  see  others 
making.  But  as  to  how,  when,  where, 
with  what  and  with  whom  to  start  they 
are  totally  ignorant. 

First  of  all  the  beginner  must  get 
some  money.  The  idea  that  five  or  ten 
dollars  will  start  a  business  which  will 
soon  be  bringing  in  millions  is  the 
merest  foolishness.  Without  some  cap- 
ital, the  beginner  had  best  leave  the 
mail  order  business  alone  and  work  at 
something  he  knows  something  about. 
Just  how  much  capital  is  necessary  can- 
not be  definitely  determined.  Differ- 
ent propositions  require  different 
amounts  to  start  with.  Some  kinds  of 
schemes  could  be  started  with  fifty  dol- 
lars, but  that  sum  would  be  wholly  in- 
adequate for  others.  But  some  money 
must  be  raised  from  somewhere  be- 
fore a  start  is  made.  Suppose  a  per- 
son undertakes  to  start  a  mail  order 
business  with  ten  dollars.  Away  goes 
all  his  money  for  one  ad,  one  time,  in 


one  medium.  If  he  gets  no  immediate 
cash  returns  from  that  ad  his  mail 
order  business  is  bankrupt — it  "died 
a-bornin'." 

The  money  raised  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity to  make  a  start,  the  next  step  is  to 
determine  what  will  be  sold.  Too  many 
beginners  hope  to  reap  a  rich  harvest 
from  the  sale  of  one  small  article.  It 
probably  looks  to  them  like  a  good  sell- 
er because  they  wanted  it  and  bought 
one  or  because  it  happens  to  be  an  arti- 
cle that  appeals  to  their  individual  de- 
sire. The  instances  in  which  a  notable 
success  have  been  made  from  the  sale 
of  one  article  by  mail  are  very  rare. 
True,  it  has  been  done,  but  for  a  begin- 
ner it  is  a  risky  proposition.  Better  se- 
lect a  good,  clean,  fast  selling  line  of 
goods  and  sell  all  of  them.  Some 
things  can  be  sold  to  one  class  of  peo- 
ple and  other  things  to  others,  but 
within  reasonable  limits  the  mail  dealer 
should  be  prepared  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  all  classes. 

The  articles  selected,  the  next  step  is 
the  follow-up  literature.  The  beginner 
would  naturally  imagine  that  the  first 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  advertise  his 
line.  That  is  just  one  of  the  thousand 
mistakes  he  is  liable  to  make.  Before 
a  line  of  advertising  is  placed,  his  fol- 
low-up system  should  be  just  as  perfect 
as  he  can  make  it,  and  indeed,  a  begin- 
ner would  far  better  pay  an  expert  his 
fee  to  prepare  this  follow-up  literature 
right  than  to  get  it  up  himself  "any  old 
way"  and  trust  to  experience  to  get  it 
in  some  sort  of  shape  that  will  bring 
business.  The  day  has  gone  by  when 
follow-up  matter  of  just  any  kind  will 
command  the  attention  of  people  to 
whom  it  is  sent  or  that  will  get  the  or- 
ders even  if  it  succeeds  in  getting  itself 
read. 

The  fojlow-up  system  properly  ar- 
ranged, written,  printed  and  ready  to 
send  out,  the  next  step  is  the  advertis- 
ing. Here  again  too  many  beginners 
fall  down.  In  many  sections  of  the 
country  a  beginner  will  get  the  notion 
that  the  way  to  do  his  advertising  is  to 
use  first  his  local  paper,  then  the  local 
papers  in  neighboring  towns  and  possi- 
bly a  want  ad  in  his  nearest  city  paper, 
the  idea  being  to  gradually  branch  out 
from  a  small  beginning. 

This  is  wrong.  In  ninety-nine  cases 
out  of  a  hundred  he  never  gets  beyond 
the  third  or  fourth  local  paper.  The 


98 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


advertising  agent  is  a  twentieth  century 
fixture.  He  is  of  the  same  value  to  the 
advertiser  that  a  lawyer  is  to  a  litigant. 
Better  the  beginner  entrust  the  steering 
of  his  advertising  ship  to  a  competent 
navigator,  who  understands  the  shoals 
and  rocks  of  the  mail  order  channel, 
than  to  attempt  to  feel  his  way  along 
unaided.  The  thing  necessary  for  the 
beginner  to  do  is  to  raise  all  the  money 
he  can  fop  the  purpose  and  turn  it  over 
to  a  recognized  and  successful  mail  or- 
der advertising  agent  to  spend  for  him. 
That  agent  knows  how  to  make  it  get 
the  maximum  amount  of  orders  for  the 
minimum  amount  of  money  per  order. 
Some  beginners  who  mi*rht  write  to  a 
prominent  mail  order  monthly  for  their 
rate  would  feel  the  need  of  smelling 
salts  when  told  that  it  was  eight  dollars 
an  agate  line.  His  county  paper  charges 
probably  ten  cents  an  inch,  and  the  in- 
experienced beginner  oftentimes  can 
see  no  difference  between  the  two  medi- 
ums. The  advertising  agent  is  invalu- 
able to  the  beginner. 

The  advertising  properly  attended  to, 
the  next  step  is  to  handle  the  orders 
that  do  come  in.  Woe  unto  the  begin- 
m?r  who  is  careless  at  this  stage  of  the 
game!  His  business  is  just  as  sure  to 
meet  with  disaster  as  the  sun  is  to  rise 
in  the  east.  Too*  much  care  cannot  be 
exercised  in  the  prompt,  careful  filling 
of  orders.  Whether  carefulness  or 
promptness  is  the  more  important  is 
hard  to  determine.  But  there  can  be 
no  question  that  these  t\Vo  points  are 
quite  the  most  important  things  to  con- 
sider in  building  up  a  successful  mail 
order  business. 

Some  correspondence  is  going  to  be 
necessary  between  customer  and  dealer, 
and  the  better  that  correspondence  can 
be  made,  on  the  dealer's  end  of  the  line, 
the  better  are  his  chances  for  success. 
"Success"  in  this  instance  means  mak* 
ing  a.  regular  customer  out  of  the  per- 
son who  for  one  reason  and -another, 
orders  one  time.  It  is  the  repeat  orders 
the  dealer  has  to  depend  on  for  his 
money — his  ultimate  profit.  The  first 
order  is  doubly  important,  because  if 
satisfactorily  filled  and  the  customer  is 
pleased,  he  at  once  becomes  a  walking 
advertisement  among  his  friends  for 
the  dealer;  but  if  dissatisfied,  not 
pleased,  and  he  considers  himself  beat 
or  swindled,  he  will  tell  his  friends  not 
to  order  from  that  particular  dealer. 


The  influence  of  a  pleased  customer 
reaches  farther  than  merely  his  own 
orders. 

Many  concerns  offer  mail  dealers  sta- 
tionery either  free  or  so  nearly  free 
that  the  inexperienced  beginner  thinks 
he  has  struck  a  good  thing  and  gets 
some  of  it.  It  is,  in  the  very  nature  of 
the  case,  cheap  and  shoddy.  The  mail 
dealer  who  uses  it  is  stamping  his  busi- 
ness w"Lth  the  impress  of  cheap  business 
methods,  and  creating  a  bad  impression 
among  the  more  intelligent  of  his  cus- 
tomers. Some  of  the  flowery  art  (?) 
studies  used  on  mail  dealers'  letter- 
heads and  envelopes  would  turn  your 
hair  gray*  A  mail  dealer's  stationery 
should  be  of  good  quality,  neatly  and 
tastefully  printed,  with  no  attempt  to 
show  off  a  lot  of  worthless  and  worn 
out  stock  cuts.  If  your  local  printer  is 
unable  to  supply  good  printing,  there 
are  a  multitude  of  printers  in  the  cities 
whose  charges  are  moderate,  and  whose 
work  is  wprth  \vhat  they  charge  for  it. 

The  use  of  a  typewriter  is  of  great 
value  to  a  mail  dealer.  It  cannot  be 
called  an  absolute  necessity,  but  type- 
written correspondence  nowadays  is 
taken  to  mean  business  of  some  kind. 
Business  people  have  set  the  seal  of 
their  approval  upon  the  typewriter  as 
an  adjunct  to  business,  and  when  ma- 
chines are  comparatively  so  inexpen- 
sive and  their  use  is  such  a  simple  mat- 
ter, a  mail  dealer  would  best  possess 
himself  of  a  typewriter  and  learn  to 
use  it  himself.  Here  again  comes  in  an 
opportunity  for  a  beginner  to  exercise 
good  or  bad  judgment.  Purchasing  an 
old,  worn  out,  run  down  typewriter  is 
the  poorest  investment  a  man  can  make. 
The  appearance  of  some  typewriting  is 
about  as  bad  as  the  old  fashioned  pen 
writing.  Get  a  machine  that  will  write 
clearly  and  legibly,  or  don't  get  any.  If 
you  cannot  afford  to  buy  one  of  the 
$100  standard  makes,  there  are  several 
cheaper  ones  which  answer  the  pur- 
pose in  all  things  but  speed. 

Few  mail  order  beginners  are  good 
letter  writers.  The  writing  of  good 
business-bringing,  convincing  letters, 
with  sufficient  selling  force  to  bring  the 
order  every  time  is  an  accomplishment 
of  which  anyone  may  well  be  proud.  It 
could  not  be  expected  that  the  beginner 
would  be  expert  in  even  his  own  cor- 
respondence. His  follow-up  letters  and 
other  form  letters  had  best  be  written 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


99 


by  an  expert  who  understands  the  prin- 
ciples of  correct  letter  writing  and  can 
put  them  into  practice.  BUT,  the  mail 
dealer  can  TELL  THE  TRUTH  in  the 
letters  he  does  write.  If  he  undertakes 
to  deceive  his  customers  he  had  better 
not  write  at  all.  Attend  to  all  the  little 
kicks  that  come  in.  It  may  seem  trivial, 
but  to  the  person  who  writes  in  to  have 
it  adjusted  it  is  exceedingly  important. 
The  proper  handling  or  improper  hand- 
ling of  just  one  little  "kick"  might 
mean  the  loss  or  retention  of  a  mail  or- 
der customer  who  in  the  course  of  S£v- 
eral  years  might  spend  hundreds  OP 
even  thousands  of  dollars  with  one  mail 
dealer.  . 

ABOUT    THE    ADVERTISING    OF 
CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS. 

The  newspaper  paragraphers  indulged 
in  many  a  witty  fling  at  the  correspond- 
ence school  product,  very  probably  with 
a  large  element  of  truth  underneath 
their  wit.  But  these  same  newspapers 
profit  more  by  the  advertising  of  cor- 
respondence schools  than  perhaps  any 
other  class  of  people  concerned.  Wfieth- 
er  instruction  by  correspondence  is  or 
is  not  a  good  thing  for  the  student  who 
pays  for  it  is  a  question  debatable  and 
hard  to  determine.  But  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  as  a  mail  order  proposi- 
tion instruction  by  correspondence  pays 
— and  that's  the  point  with  any  mail 
order  proposition. 

Ten  years  ago  the  writer  would  pause 
in  the  perusal  of  magazines  to  read 
over  and  over  again  a  little  advertise- 
ment containing  a  picture  of  Cupid  or 
one  of  his  brothers  whispering  the  se- 
crets of  the  law  into  the  ear  of  a  pros- 
perous-looking young  fellow  who  ap- 
parently enjoyed  the  proceeding.  The 
writer  at  that  time  had  a  sort  of  a 
vague  notion  that  he  would  like  to  be 
a  lawyer,  but  for  various  reasons  at- 
tendance at  a  law  school  was  out  of  the 
question.  But  the  idea  presented  in 
that  little  -one-inch  ad  STUCK.  It 
went  home  and  although  it  did  not  se- 
cure a  student  for  the  correspondence 
school  in  question,  it  implanted  an  idea 
which  has  since  resulted  in  payment — 
in  advance,  for  at  least  four  corre- 
spondence  courses  in  different  branches 
of  learning. 

Passing  over  those  same  ten  years 
we  see  advertisements  galore  of  every- 
thing from  real  estate  business,  nursing 


and  dancing  to  engineering,  navigation 
and  school  teaching  showing  that,  what- 
evef  else  "may  have  happened  in  the  cor- 
respondence instruction  field,  the  num- 
ber of  institutions  devoted  to  this  class 
of  work  and  spending  millions  of  dol- 
lars annually  for  Advertising  and  mul- 
tiplied with  a  rapidity  scarcely  equalled 
by  any  other  mail  order  proposition. 

The  question  at  issue,  is  would  this 
be  the  case  if.  it  did  not  pay  ?  Assured- 
ly not.  Correspondence  instruction 
might  be  classed  as  one  of  the  prom- 
inent steps  in  2Oth  century  advance- 
ment. «People  would  not  continue  to 
pay  out,  good  money  for  advertising  this 
class  of  propositions  if  it  did  not  pay. 
And,  indeed,  any  observing  person  who 
follows  current  advertising  cannot  fail 
to  note  the  advancement  of  many  new 
schools  by  their  advertising.  Time  and 
again  a  school  has  started,  doubtless 
with  small  capital,  using  small  space 
and  its  advertising  has  grown  and 
grown  with  the  growth  of  the  school 
until  now  whole  pages  and  double  pages 
are  used  in  the  most  costly  mediums  of 
the  country.  The  correspondence  school 
has  come  to  stay,  and  as  an  advertising 
proposition  has  to  be  reckoned  with. 

There  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
persons  in  the  United  States  to  whom 
a  course  in  a  correspondence  school 
can  be  sold  through  advertising  to 
whom  most  other  things  could  not  .be 
sold.  The  American  people  want  to 
learn  things.  That  is-  one  thing  that 
has  made  them  great.  Almost  every 
young  man  and  woman  and  many  old 
ones,  too,  have  in  their  heart  a  longing 
to  take  up  the  study  of  something.  To 
many  of  these  attendance  in  person  at  a 
college  is  impossible,  because  of  the 
cost,  because  they  are  making  a  living, 
and  can't  stop,  because  they  are  mar- 
ried and  cannot  leave  their  families — 
and  for  a  thousand  other  reasons 
equally  as  good. 

To  some  others  the  opportunity  to 
remain  at  home  while  learning  is  at- 
tractive, although  they  miglit  be  finan- 
cially able  to  attend  a  cbllege,  or  might 
have  practically  nothing  to  prevent  their 
attendance. 

When  all  of  these  people  and  others 
besides  are  taken  into  account,  one  is 
led  to  believe  that  the  field  for  corre- 
spondence school  advertising  and  its 
opportunity  to  "make  good" — bring 
business — is  as  itearly  unlimited  as  it 
could  be  for  any  proposition. 


100 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Experiences  of  a  Mail  Order  Man. 


Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  to  place 
yourself  in  the  position  of  a  novice  who 
for  the  first  time  receives  a  catalogue  ? 
Let  me  tell  you  that  the  man  who 
writes  a  novel  is  not  in  it  with  a  cata- 
logue writer.  I  think  I  see  myself  as 
I  read  page  after  page,  not  consecu- 
tively, but  dipping  here  and  there, 
catching  on  to  the  headlines  in  bold  face 
type— just  where  the  writer  wanted  me 
to  read — "One  agent  made  $46  in  a 
single  day."  "Another  made  $5.80  in 
one  hour."  "You  can  sell  from  two  to 
six  in  every  house."  "You  only  have 
to  show  the  goods  and  they  sell  them- 
selves." Talk  about  novels  being  excit- 
ing. This  was  the  most  exciting  litera- 
ture I  ever  read.  Did  I  believe  it?  Of 
course  not  but  the  funny  part  of  the 
matter  is,  I  believed  just  half  of  it  and 
that  is  what  I  never  could  understand 
about  the  average  reader  of  advertise- 
ments or  catalogues.  If  you  say  "An 
agent  made  $5.80  in  one  hour/'  he  will 
exclaim,  Well,  I  don't  believe  that,  but 
if  he  made  half  that  he  did  pretty  well. 
Explain  it  if  you  can.  I  give  it  up. 

Well,  I  got  excited,  as  most  people 
do  who  read  such  literature  for  the  first 
time.  In  those  days  circulars  and  cata- 
logues were  not  as  common  as  they  are 
now,  and  remember,  I  was  but  twenty 
years  of  age,  with  a  family  of  brothers 
and  sisters  depending  on  me  for  sup- 
port. 

I  did  not  allow  myself  to  be  carried 
away,  but  will  admit  the  glowing  testi- 
monials written  (presumably)  by  agents, 
the  flat-footed  statements  of  big  profits 
made  with  but  little  exertion,  and  the 
impossibility  of  getting  anything  else, to 
do,  all  seemed  arguments  in  favor  of  my 
taking  up  the  work.  I  even  made  up 
my  mind  that  if  I  was  unable  to  get  any- 
thing to  do  by  a  certain  date  I  would 
make  the  attempt.  I  had  settled  in  my 
own  mind  just  what  goods  I  would  sell 
— where  I  would  go  and  when  I  would 
start — when  something  happened  which 
possibly  altered  the  whole  course  of  my 
life. 


It  is  reasonably  'safe  to  assume  if  I 
had  gone  on  the  road  I  should  not  have 
made  a  success  of  the  business.  I  am 
not  a  good  canvasser  and  while  I  have 
done  a  little  canvassing  in  my  day  it 
has  not  been  agreeable  to  me  and  I  al- 
ways avoid  it  if  I  can. 

MY    FIRST    EMPLOYERS. 

The  members  of  the  firm  by  whom  I 
was  employed  were  as  different  in  every 
way  as  you  could  possibly  imagine.  '  One 
started  with  nothing.  I  .suppose  in  the 
past  twenty-five  years  he  must  have 
made  nearly  a  million  dollars.  At  any 
rate  he  has  had  diamonds,  fast  horses, 
yachts,  etc.,  and  if  he  is  not  a  million- 
aire today  it  is  his  own  fault.  I  never 
knew  any  one  who  could  make  money 
faster  and  more  easily.  He  told  me  his 
first  experience  was  taking  order  for  a 
book — a  very  expensive  volume  which 
retailed  at  $10.  I  think  I  remember  his 
telling  me  he  made  $27  the  first  day. 
Another  time  at  the  beginning  of  his 
career  he  took  out  some  cheap  jewelry 
to  a  champion  boat  race  where  the 
crowds  were  enormous.  He  made  $67 
that  day.  Still  he  was  no  sluggard — a 
man  who  talked  little  and  made  every 
move  count.  I  remember  one  man  say- 
ing he  was  the  hardest  nut  to  crack 
from  a  salesman's  standpoint  he  had 
ever  met.  Why !  he  said,  the  fellow 
lets  you  talk  and  says  nothing  himself 
and  no  man  can  keen  on  talking  with- 
out giving  himself  away  some  time. 
Perhaps  there  is  a  lesson  in  this  for  us 
all.  A  still  tongue  makes  a  wise  head. 
Many  a  fool  has  gained  credit  for  great 
wisdom  by  keeping  his  mouth  shut. 

The  other  partner  started  life  with 
a  considerable  sum ,  of  money.  His 
father  gave  him  additional  sums  amount- 
ing to  nearly  $100,000  in  all.  The  last  I 
heard  of  him  several  years  ago  was  that 
he  was  hard  up.  As  I  never  saw  him 
anything  else,  but  hard  up  I  was  not 
surprised.  It  seems  strange  that  such 
a  man  with  a  splendid  education  backed 


PRINCIPLES  OF  THE  MAIL  ORDER  BUSINESS. 


101 


up  by  opportunities  such  as  seldom  fall 
to  the  lot  of  man  and  still  further  aided 
by  the  gifts  of  large  sums  of  money 
should  not  have  succeeded  at  least  as 
well  as  the  other.  He  was  one  of  the 
hardest  working  men  I  ever  saw,  with 
strictly  temperate  habits.  Any  one  who 
tried  to  get  ahead  of  him  would  speedily 
find  he  had  run  up  against  the  wrong 
man,  yet  in  spite  of  it  all  he  frittered 
away  his  money.  I  think  the  trouble  was 
that  his  ideas  were  bigger  than  his  ability 
was  to  handle.  Many  men  get  an  idea 
into  their  heads  that  because  they  can 
run  a  $10,000  business  successfully  they 
can  run  a  $1,000,000  business  with  equal 
success.  My  young  friend,  get  that  idea 
out  of  your  head  quick.  I  say,  my 
young  friend,  because  the  old  fellows 
have  found  their  place  by  the  time  they 
have  been  in  the  business  long  enough 
to  grow  old  either  at  the  top  of  the  lad- 
der or  on  the  rubbish  heap.  You  and  I 
may  as  well  realize  that  such  men  as  Jay 
Gould,  Rockefeller  and  Carnegie  are 
smarter  men  than  we  will  ever  be.  Not 
that  I  would  throw  cold  water  on  a 
laudable  ambition  to  rise  in  the  world; 
far  from  it,  but  every  man  has  his  limit 
and  he  who  "bites  off  more  than  he  can 
chew"  will  soon  find  his  proper  level. 

EXPERIENCES    WITH    AGENTS. 

At  this  time  the  business  in  which 
I  was  engaged  was  mostly  with  agents. 
Many  of  these  agents  made  trips  to 
town  to  select  their  stock  of  goods  and 
many  an  interesting  chat  I  had  with 
agents  whom  I  had  first  got  in  touch 
with  through  my  advertisements  and  by 
letter. 

There  was  one  curious  character 
called  Old  Tobin.  His  specialty  was  the 
magic  tobacco  box  and  many  a  gross  he 
bought  from  me.  Wherever  there  was 
a  crowd  you  might  expect  to  find  Old 
Tobin. 

Old  Tobin  came  and  went  for  many 
years.  The  last  I  heard  of  him  he  was 
seen  walking  up  and  down  outside  of  a 
•side  show  to  a  circus,  repeating  the  fol- 
lowing. "Stej-  in  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
Don't  pass  this  great  show.  Come  in- 
side and  see  a  man  get  his  head  cut  off. 
Try  your  luck  shooting  the  dolly.  Try 
your  luck,  three  shots  for  five.  If  you 
hit  him  once  you  get  one  cigar.  If  you 
hit  him  twice  you  get  two  cigars.  If 
you  hit  him  three  times  you  get  half  a 
dollar,"  and  so  on. 


Old  Cholette,  another  of  my  agents, 
used  to  trade  cheap  jewelry,  photo 
frames  and  such  things  for  chickens, 
butter,  eggs,  etc.,  and  then  peddle  the 
produce  he  had  thus  collected.  He  was 
an  honest  old  Frenchman  and  for  all  I 
know  may  be  still  in'  the  poultry  busi- 
ness. 

"18   K"    BRASS    RINGS. 

One  day  a  half  tipsy  man  came  in  and 
after  a  good  deal  of  haggling  bought  a 
cheap  watch  for  which  he  paid  $4.50.  In 
two  hours  he  came  back  and  got  another 
— said  he  sold  the  first  for  $10  and  ex- 
pected to  trade  off  the  second  for  a 
horse. 

Another  agent  was  very  anxious  to 
get  plated  rings  stamped  solid  gold  i8k 
and  seemed  quite  annoyed  that  I  would 
not  have  this  done.  The  rings  cost  me 
8oc  gross  and  I  sold  them  at  2oc  per 
dozen,  but  my  agent  was  not  satisfied 
with  such  meager  profits — he  got  SQC 
each  for  them. 

An  experience  I  had  with  a  customer 
coming  in  to  town  to  hunt  me  up  shows 
how  very  unreasonable  some  people  are. 

A    SIX-STORY   BUILDING. 

How  well  I  remember  this  man  com- 
ing in  one  day  and  looking  around  with 
a  vacant  expression  such  as  one  often 
sees  on  the  face  of  a  stranger  from 
country  districts. 

'Tm  looking  for  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Lee — James  Lee.  Ever  heard  of  him  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  this  is  the  place." 

"Eh.     What?" 

"This  is  the  place  and  I  am  the  man." 

"Oh,  no,"  with  a  wise  shake  of  the 
head." 

"The  man  I  want  to  see  is  an  old  man 
— has  a  big  six-story  building.  You 
ain't  the  man  I  want  to  see." 

"Well,  what  do  you  want  with  him 
anyhow  ?" 

"Oh,  I  just  want  to  see  him — bought 
some  goods  of  him — you  know  he  puts 
out  big  advertisements  in  the  papers 
and  I  kind  of  thought  I'd  like  to  call  in 
and  see  what  he'd  got." 

"Did  a  mail  order  business,  did  he?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Well,  I  guess  this  is  the  place." 

"Say,  you  mean  to  tell  me  you're  the 
man  that  puts  out  all  them  big  ads?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Well,"     a     pause.     "Well,"     another 


102 


PRINCIPLES   OF  THE  MAIL   ORDER  BUSINESS. 


pause.  "Well,  I  guess  that's  all.  I  don't 
see  what  any  man  wants  to  go  and  get 
up  them  ads  and  humbug  the  people  for, 
anyhow.  Make  them  think  you  got  a  big 
six-story  building." 

Then  I  got  my  Irish  up.  "Look  here, 
my  friend,"  I  said,  "did  you  ever  send 
me  any  money  for  goods?" 

"Oh,  yes,  lots  of  times." 

"Did  you  get  the  goods  all  right?" 

"Yes,   sir,  every  time." 

"Did  I  ever  say  in  any  of  my  letters, 
advertisements  or  circulars  that  J  oc- 
cupied a  six-story  building?" 

"Well,  no — don't  know  that  you  did." 

"Well,  what's  the  matter  with  you — 
what  are  you  kicking  about  anyhow?" 

"Well  you  got  no  business  to  deceive 
people  anyhow,"  and  the  old  man  turned 
on  his  heel  and  went  off  grumbling  in 
an  undertone  in  which  I  could  distin- 
guish such  words  as  fake,  swindle,  de- 
ception, etc.  Kind  reader,  think  of  it.  Is 
a  man  obliged  to  say  in  every  advertise- 
ment what  he  is  not. 

SOME    PULLING   ADVERTISE- 
MENTS. 

Years  ago  it  was  possible  for  almost 
any  one  of  moderate  ability  to  write 
out  an  advertisement  which  would  draw- 
replies  and  if  followed  up  properly,  pull 
out  even  or  pay  a  good  profit.  Times 
have  changed  and  it  now  takes  an  ex- 
pert to  do  the  work  well  enough  to 
produce  this  result  and  sometimes  even 
the  expert  will  fall  short. 

For  several  years  I  used  to  spend  the 
best  part  of  every  Friday  in  drawing  up 
ads,  checking  returns,  etc.,  etc.  Any- 
thing more  tiresome  I  can  hardly  im- 
agine. Some  people  may  enjoy  writing 
out  ads^-to  me  it  is  the  hardest  kind  of 
work. 

My  usual  plan  was  first  to  consider 
carefully  in  a  general  way  whether  it 
was  best  to  advertise  the  goods  out  and 
out.  In  other  words  call  for  money  at 
the  start  or  instead  of  this  to  write  a 
short  catchy  ad  for  names  and  follow 
this  up  with  printed  matter — letters, 
prods,  etc.  It  is  impossible  to  make  a 
cast-iron  rule  which  will  apply  to  every 
case.  For  my  own  part  I  have  had  some 
little  success  in  both  ways,  and  sad  to 
relate,  I  have  frequently  "got  it  where 
the  chickens  got  the  axe" — i.  e.,  in  the 
back  of  the  neck.  Some  schemes  which 


offer  apparently  big  value  for  small 
sums,  say  10  to  25  cents,  will  pay  by 
direct  advertising — others  which  call  for 
$1.00  or  more  worded  in  the  same  way 
will  fall  flat. 

A  BLIND  ADVERTISEMENT. 

Many  advertisers  offer  something  free 
and  when  sending  out  the  gift  send 
their  circulars  at  the  same  time.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  such  ads  bring  in 
an  enormous  number  of  replies,  but  it 
is  a  question  in  my  mind  if  there  is  any 
money  in  it.  Yet  I  know  of  two  firms 
who  are  both  making  money  with  this 
kind  of  an  advertisement  for  their  draw- 
ing card.  They  both  have  a  fine  large 
ling  of  goods  to  follow  up  with  and  I 
think  in  this  is  the  secret  of  their  success. 
Yet  even  here  I  can  remember  that  some 
one  told  me  not  long  ago  how  one  of 
these  firms  was  on  the  brink  of  failure 
and  was  only  saved  by  a  legacy  which 
came  to  him  most  opportunely. 

I  once  got  out  an  ad  something  like 
the  enclosed.  It  occupied  one  inch  and 
had  a  heavy  black  border  all  around. 

A  FORTUNE. 


Return  this  slip  with  50  cents  and 
we  will  send  you  a  package  of  goods 
worth  marty  times  50  cents,  which  may 
start  you  in  a  business  that  will  estab- 
lish you  for  life  and  may  possibly  make 
your  fortune.  Money  returned  to  any 
one  not  satisfied. 

This  is  called  a  "blind  adv."  and  I 
do  not  think  is  now  looked  upon  with 
favor  by  the  postal  authorities.  Not- 
withstanding this  fact,  it  was  perfectly 
legal  at  that  time  and  pulled  me  in  over 
5,000  replies.  Every  one  seemed  satis- 
fied with  one  exception,  and  I  don't 
think  that  was  bad  out  of  5,000  replies. 
Many  reordered  several  times,  some  get- 
ting 'as  much  as  $50  worth  of  goods. 

A   FAST    SELLING    BOOK. 

Another  advertisement  which  did  good 
service  and  which  may  be  seen  today, 
was  the  following: 


PRINCIPLES    OP   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


103 


LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

This  is  a  very  useful  book,  being  a 
guide  to  the  successful  Hunting  and 
Trapping  of  all  kinds  of  animals;  tells 
how  to  fish.  It  gives  the  right  season 
for  trapping;  how  to  make,  set  and  bait 
traps  for  minks,  weasels,  skunks,  hawks, 
owls,  gophers,  birds,  squirrels,  muskrats, 
foxes,  rabbits,  raccoons,  etc. ;  how  to 
make  and  use  bird  lime.  How  to  catch 
live  all  kinds  of  birds,  how  to  tell  the  . 
true  value  of  skins;  how  to  skin  all  ani- 
mals, deodorize,  stretch  and  cure  them ; 
how  to  dress  and  tan  skins,  furs  and 
leather;  to  tan  with  or  without  wool  or 
hair;  to  skin  or- stuff  birds;  baits  and 
hooks  for  fishing,  how  to  fish  successfully 
without  nets,  spears,  snares,  "bobs"  or 
bait  (a  great  secret)  ;  how  to  choose  and 
clean  guns;  how  to  breed  minks  for 
skins.  We  have  a  limited  number  of 
these  valuable  little  books  on  hand  and 
as  long  as  the  supply  lasts  we  will  sell 
them  for  15  cents  each,  sent  postpaid. 
Send  stamps  or  silver. 

This  is  a  good  little  book  and  well 
worth  the  money  asked.  I  do  not  know 
how  many  thousands  I  have  sold. 

"FUN  AND  MYSTERY  PACKAGES." 

One  of  the  greatest  winners  I  ever 
handled  was  the  3  cent  Library  got  out 
some  years  ago  by  F.  M.  Lupton,  New 
York.  (A  man  who,  by  the  way,  I  have 
always  admired  for  the  upright,  honor- 
able methods  he  has  used  to  build  up  his 
enormous  business.)  I  was  one  of  the 
first  to  use  them.  The  books  cost  me,  I 
think,  i  cent  each,  mailed  and  sold  for  3 
cents.  The  quantity  I  sold  was  enor- 
mous and  others  must  have  used  vastly 
more  than  I  did. 

Another  strong  puller  was  the  Fun 
and  Mystery  package,  originally  got  up 
I  believe  by  F.  M.  Porter,  now  publisher 
of  the  Hearthstone,  New  York.  This  is 
a  collection  of  cards,  games,  autograph 
albums,  verses,  jokes,  etc.,  etc.  It  sold 
at  that  time  for  30  cents,  and  every  one 
was  pleased.  Now  there  are  dozens  of 
such  packages  selling  all  the  way  from 
10  cents  to  $i  and  giving  but  doubtful 
satisfaction. 

SOLID  GOLD  BAND  RING  FOR  A 
DOLLAR. 

A  good  puller  and  a  most  satisfactory 
article  to  handle,  was  the  Solid  Gold 


Band  Ring  for  $1.00.  They  cost  me 
at  that  time  $6.50  to  $7.00  per  dozen- 
and  sold  like  wildfire.  Any  one  who 
could  get  a  gold  ring  for  $1.00  thought 
it  a  snap,  and  so  it  was.  I  have  one  at 
home  which  has  been  in  use  for  15  years 
and  is  as  good  as  ever.  There  are  so 
many  gold-plated,  gold-filled,  gold-laid, 
imitation  gold,  Borneo  gold,  etc.,  etc., 
rings  sold  now  that  a.  man  with  a  good 
old-fashioned  solid  gold  gk  ring  for  one 
dollar  has  no  show. 

SPY   GLASSES   AND   QUASSIA 
CUPS. 

One  day  I  took  a  fancy  to  try  this  ad : 
SPY   GLASSES. 

"With  this  glass  you  can  see  horses  in 
a  distant  field.  You  can  find  squirrels 
in  the  trees.  You  can  distinguish  peo- 
ple at  a  long  distance.  It  is  invaluable 
to  every  farmer  as  it  brings  his  furthest 
field  as  close  to  him  as  though  it  were 
at  his  feet.  Price  only  one  dollar." 

I  started  with  six  dozen  spy  glasses 
and  in  a  short  time  I  had  bought  up 
every  spy  glass  in  the  city  and  was  im- 
porting them  from  Germany. 

Another  strong  puller  was  a  violin 
for  $3.50.  Bow,  $1.25;  case,  75  cents. 
All  these  goods  gave  splendid  satisfac- 
tion and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  handle 
them. 

Another  fine  seller  was  the  "Oilo- 
graph,"  so-called.  It  was  a  departure 
from  the  ordinary  crayon,  and  I  believe 
is  sold  now  under  a  variety  of  names. 
The  Oilograph  was  a  tin  type,  slightly 
enlarged  and  touched  up  in  color,  then 
framed  in  a  black  walnut  frame. 

An  article  which  had  a  great  run  was 
the  Quassia  cup  made  from  Quassia 
wood.  When  filled  with  water  it  gave 
the  water  a  bitter  taste  which  was  sup- 
posed to  act  as  a  tonic.  When  the  supply 
of  genuine  Quassia  wood  ran  low  some 
firms  had  cups  made  out  of  ordinary 
wood  and  steeped  in  a  bitter  solution  of 
some  kind. 

Another  good  seller  was  the  American 
Prize  Paste  Stove  Polish.  The  demand 
for  this  is  now  largely  filled  with  Enam- 
eline,  a  similar  preparation.  It  cost  me" 
$20  for  the  recipe  after  I  had  wasted 
$200  in  experimenting.  If  any  man 
thinks  he  knows  how  to  make  the  Amer- 
ican Prize  Paste  Stove  Polish  I  would 
suggest  that  he  first  try  it  in  a  small 


104 


PRINCIPLES    OF    THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS. 


way  and  allow  his  product  to  stand  for 
three  months.  He  will  save  money  by 
going  slow. 

PRIZE  STATIONERY  PACKAGE. 

I  must  not  forget  the  old  reliable 
Stationery  package.  Here  you  are,  gen- 
tlemen, 24  sheets  of  excellent  note  pa- 
per, 25  splendid  cream-laid  envelopes, 
one  best  American  lead  pencil,  one 
beautiful  Colorado  Golden  pen,  one  ac- 
commodation penholder,  one  convenient 
key  ring,  one  glove  buttoner,  one  shoe 
fastener,  and  one  to  three  elegant  pieces 
of  jewelry  all  for  25  cents.  Remember 
you  have  a  large  assortment  to  choose 
from.  Ear  rings,  watches,  chains,  scarf 
pins,  stick  pins,  brooches,  rings,  etc., 
etc.-  A  watch  positively  guaranteed  with 
every  144  packages.  Agents  can  sell 
them  as  fast  as  they  can  .hand  them  out, 
only  25  cents  each.  Price  to  agents, 
$1.75  per  dozen  packages,  or  $18  per 
gross,  500  packages,  and  an  extra  watch 
for  only  $60.  Did  they  sell?  Well  I 
should  say  they  did.  I  often  wonder 
why  these  goods  are  not  put  up  any 
more.  They  were  as  staple  as  flour  and 
being  good  goods  the  agents  would 
come  again  and  again  for  them. 

A  line  which  took  well  in  the  right 
season  was  revolvers.  At  that  time  it 
was  considered  a  great  thing  to  buy  a 
22  caliber,  7-shot  revolver  for  $1.75,  yet 
there  was  nearly  a  whole  dollar  profit 
in  them.  There  is  a  chance  here  for 
some  bright  advertiser  to  get  up  a  nice, 
attractive  revolver  ad,  say  about  August 
or  September.  I  think  it  would  pay  if 
properly  handled. 

Another  thing  that  is  lost  sight  of  is 
notions  or  small  wares.  Pins,  needles, 


shoe  laces,  hair  pins,  knitting  needles, 
cheap  pocket  handkerchiefs,  and  all  the 
little  jim  cracks  usually  kept  in  the  no- 
tion department  of  a  large  store.  The 
orders  are  small,  but  the  percentage  of 
profit  is  large  and  the  orders  keep  com- 
ing, coming,  all  the  time. 

The  foregoing  matter  is  quoted  from 
"25  Years  in  the  Mail  Order  Business," 
or  "The  Experiences  of  a  Mail  Order 
Man,"  written  by  James  Lee,  the  veteran 
mail  dealer,  and  published  by  Arthur  E. 
Swett. 

Whatever  there  is  of  romance,  fas- 
cination and  excitement  in  the  mail  or- 
der business  is  embodied  in  the  book  of 
the  above  title.  A  mail  order  man  who 
has  been  in  the  business  twenty-five 
years,  has  been  induced  to  put  his  ex- 
periences into  book  form  and  has  writ- 
ten them  up  with  a  charm  and  style 
that  holds  the  reader  spell-bound  from 
.the  first  page  to  the  last. 

The  book  is  in  the  half  narrative,  half 
reminiscent  style.  It  is  not  a  book  for 
the  general  public,  but  just  a  plain, 
unvarnished  tale  of  every  day  happen- 
ings in  the  mail  order  business.  Those 
who  are  in  the  mail  order  business  will 
read  this  book  and  find  in  every  page 
some  incident  or  experience  that  will 
strike  a  responsive  cord,  while  a  large 
and  numerous  class  who  are  not  yet  in 
the  mail  order  business  but  are  anxious 
to  learn  all  they  can  about  it,  will  find 
in  this  book  many  of  the  lessons  taught 
in  the  hard  school  of  experience,  which 
they  can  learn  without  the  expenditure 
of  the  large  sums  they  cost  the  author. 

Several  thousand  copies  of  this  book 
have  been  sold.  The  price  is  $1.00,  cloth 
binding;  50  cents  in  paper;  176  pages. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


105 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Chicago  Mail  Order  Business  Today. 

Interviews  with  Successful  Mail  Order  Men — Their  Ideas  as  to  the  Essential  Qualifications 

to  Attain  Success — Advertising  as  a  Factor  Today — Lessons 

from  the  Life  Book  of  Hard  Experience. 


The  business  of  the  Chicago  mail  or- 
der houses  grows  apace.  It  is  now  al- 
most two  million  dollars  per  week,  and 
there  is  every  indication  that  before 
many  years  pass  it  will  be  one  million 
dollars  per  day. 

Here  are  the  figures  for  the  last  three 
years  from  the  Chicago  Tribune: 

1904     $60,000,000 

1905 78,000,000 

1906     97,000,000 

This   estimate   for    1906   includes   only 

houses  which  do  a  business  with  the  in- 
dividual consumer,  such  as  Sears,  Roe- 
buck &  Co.,  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co., 
Jno.  M.  Smyth  &  Co.,  Albaugh  Bros., 
Dover  &  Co.,  etc.  , 

In  reality  Butler  Bros.,  Lyon  Bros., 
The  Chicago  Mercantile  Co.,  and  many 
other  big  firms  relying  solely  on  their 
catalogs  to  bring  them  business  are  mail 
order  houses.  The  only  difference  be- 
tween Ward  and  Butler  is  that  one  sells 
direct  to  the  consumer  and  the  other  to 
the  dealer.  Both  rely  on  the  U.  S.  mails 
alone  for  orders. 

One  branch  of  business  in  Chicago 
which  should  really  be  classified  under 
the  head  of  mail  order  trade  is  that  of 
tailoring  to  the  trade.  It  is  true  that 
tailors  to  the  trade  employ  agents ;  but 
the  agent  has  very  little  individuality. 
The  orders  are  gathered  on  the  strength 
of  the  big  tailor-to-the-trade  firms  in 
Chicago.  A  form  is  filled  up  very  simi- 
lar indeed  to  that  used  by  country  buy- 
ers from  the  large  mail  order  houses. 
One  agent  is  appointed  in  each  town ; 
he  does  not  travel  about  getting  orders, 
but  usually  stays  on  the  spot  and  ad- 
vertises the  merit  of  the  clothing  his 
firm  makes. 

This  business  has  grown  to  enormous 
proportions.  Last  year  it  amounted  to 
$26,000,000,  or  half  a  million  dollars  per 
week.  It  is  computed  that  Chicago  does 


seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  tailoring  to 
the  trade  in  the  country. 

The  huge  house  of  Butler  Bros,  last 
year  took  over  the  old  warehouse  of 
Sears,  Roebuck  &  Co.,  at  Fulton  and 
Desplaines  streets.  Other  wholesale  cat- 
alog houses  report  progress,  and  alto- 
gether the  outlook  for  many  firms  who 
are  competing  against  the  mail  order 
business  is  not  a  bright  one.  Salesmen 
on  the  road  find  it  vastly  harder  to  sell 
today  than  they  did  even  five  years  ago. 
They  have  to  cover  much  more  territory 
to  make  a  fair  average  of  sales.  The 
dealer  is  growing  more  independent.  In- 
stead of  going  up  to  the  sample  room  of 
the  hotel  to  see  the  drummer's  goods, 
the  salesman  not  infrequently  is  now 
obliged  to  carry  his  samples  down  to 
the  merchant. 

Chicago  is  the  natural  center  of  the 
mail  order  field.  Strenuous  attempts  on 
the  part  of  eastern  houses  to  capture  a 
portion  of  the  business  of  the  country 
are  not  meeting  with  success.  One  rea- 
son for  the  failure  of  New  York  City  to 
successfully  "break"  into  the  mail  order 
business  is  that  there  are  too  many  small 
towns  and  cities  in  the  eastern  states  to 
make  mail  order  houses  necessary.  The 
people  evidently  prefer  to  deal  at  the 
stores  in  the  small  town  city.  Then 
if  the  easterner  tries  to  get  mail  orders 
from  states  in  the  middle  west  he  finds 
he  is  handicapped  by  the  question  of 
higher  freight  rates. 

STATE  STREET  STORES  FAIL. 

That  it  is  impossible  to  serve  two  mas- 
ters is  evidenced  by  the  failure  of  most 
of  the  big  State  street  stores  to  enter  the 
mail  order  business  successfully.  Sev- 
eral houses  have  abandoned  the  attempt 
to  go  into  the  mail  order  trade  after  los- 
ing a  considerable  amount  of  money  in 
the  experiment. 


io6 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


One  reason  why  State  street  stores  fail 
is  because  they  try  to  sell  the  same  goods 
to  town  and  country  customers  alike. 
Chicagoans  get  the  first  pick  of  bargains, 
and  often  when  the  country  customer 
sends  in  an  order  he  is  often  too  late 
to  secure  a  really  profitable  bargain. 
Then,  too,  merchandise  gets  worn  and 
shop-spoiled,  and  the  country  customer 
obviously  dislikes  such  goods.  Further 
the  State  street  stores  found  the  utmost 
difficulty  in  selling  according  to  cata- 
log through  various  reasons,  and  had 
to  resort  to  a  great  deal  of  substituting 
with  attendant  dissatisfaction  on  the  part 
of  the  country  customer. 

DEMANDS  ALL  A  MAN'S  TIME. 

These  are  the  reasons  on  the  surface. 
The  real  reason  why  the  State  street 
stores  failed  is  because  most  of  them 
tried  to  make  the  mail  order  business  a 
side  issue.  Now  the  mail  order  business 
demands  all  of  a  man's  brain  power,  not 
a  part  of  it.  The  problems  of  the  mail 
order  trade  do  not  form  a  fascinating 
pastime  to  be  studied  late  in  the  after- 
noon or  at  night.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
a  firm  invites  failure  when  it  attempts  to 
run  any  other  business  if  it  is  engaged  in 
a  mail  order  trade. 

FOUNDATION   OF   THE   MAIL 
ORDER  BUSINESS. 

All  mail  order  men  agree  that  the  real 
foundation  of  the  success  of  the  mail 
order  business  is  the  ability  to  sell  at  a 
lower  price  than  competitors.  Advertis- 
ing or  printers'  ink  of  any  kind  is  the 
only  salesman.  Most  any  advertisement 
will  bring  inquiries  and  some  of  these 
will  develop  into  orders.  But  to  get  re- 
peat orders,  the  customer  must  be  satis- 
fied. He  must  use  the  goods,  test  them, 
compare  them  and  be  sure  in  his  own 
mind  that  he  has  gotten  a  bargain,  be- 
fore a  mail  order  firm  can  fully  count 
on  him  as  a  custome  All  concerns  who 
do  business  solely  by  mail  agree  that 
getting  new  clients  is  a  costly  thing,  and 
that  if  a  concern  continually  loses  its 
customers  through  bad  service,  too  high 
prices  or  telling  lies,  it  will  not  be  long 
before  that  firm  goes  to  the  wall. 

In  an  interview  with  Mr.  R.  W.  Sears 
last  year,  the  head  of  the  big  mail  order 
house  gave  utterance  to  the  following 
statement:  "I  think  a  lot  of  people 


waste  good  money  on  advertising  be- 
cause they  say  things  in  their  copy  which 
are  not  just  so." 

At  the  same  time,  however  good  a 
firm's  intentions  may  be,  it  takes  time 
and  money  to  learn  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness. This  is  the  belief  of  Mr.  Albaugh, 
of  Albaugh  Bros.,  Dover  &  Co.  This 
firm  is  credited  with  doing  a  business  of 
over  five  million  dollars  per  year.  In  the 
course  of  an  interview  Mr.  Albaugh 
said : 

"It  takes  lots  of  experimenting  to 
make  a  success  in  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness. Experience  may  be  said  to  be  the 
only  really  safe  guide  to  success;  but 
when  success  does  come  it  repays  all  the 
previous  labor,  effort  and  anxiety  a  hun- 
dredfold. 

"It  takes  time  and  money  to  build  up 
a  good  catalogue ;  for  instance,  we  con- 
sider it  impossible  to  build  up  a  catalog 
of  about  a  thousand  pages  similar  to 
ours  under  the  expenditure  of  a  million 
dollars. 

"Every  page,  every  illustration,  every 
word  costs  good  money  to  print.  Goods 
in  a  catalog  which  it  does  not  pay  to  sell 
must  not  be  offered.  Merchandise  which 
experience  shows  the  country  wants  and 
will  pay  a  fair  profit  on,  must  be  pushed 
hard. 

"The  departments  must  be  organized 
so  that  it  is  known  exactly  how  much 
each  one  makes  and  how  much  each  one 
loses.  We  have  gotten  things  down  to 
that  stage  now  that  we  can  tell  just 
what  profit  each  department  is  making, 
what  its  expenses  are,  what  its  income  is, 
etc. 

GOOD   MEN    NECESSARY. 

"Into  the  question  of  running  a  suc- 
cessful mail  order  business  enters  the 
vital  question  of  good  assistants.  Poor 
men,  we  have  found,  are  dear  at  any 
figure.  Men  who  can  achieve  results  and 
make  money  are  worthy  of  high  salaries. 

"Do  I  consider  it  pays  to  sell  a  spec- 
ialty in  the  mail  order  business  or  carry 
a  large  assortment  of  goods  ?  Frankly 
I  believe  that  the  more  varied  the  lines 
sold  the  greater  the  chance  for  success. 
The  same  buying  organization  can  handle 
the  purchasing  of  a  number  of  lines. 
The  same  amount  of  postage  will  ofter 
cover  the  offering  of  a  number  of  ar- 
ticles for  sale  as  if  a  specialty  were  of- 
fered. The  chances  of  making  a  sal< 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 


107 


are  largely  increased  when  a  variety  of 
things  are  offered  for  sale. 

"What  about  the  future  of  the  mail 
order  business?  Do  I  consider  the  field 
crowded?  By  no  means.  I  think  there 
is  room  for  at  least  ten  large  concerns 
like  Sears,  Roebuck,  Montgomery  Ward 
&  Co.,  John  M.  Smyth  &  Co. 

"Speaking  for  ourselves  we  may  say 
that  our  business  doubled  in  volume  last 
year.  This  fact  in  itself  is  a  good  proof 
of  the  rapid  growth  of  mail  order  trade 
in  Chicago." 

FIELD    NOT   CROWDED. 

The  opinion  of  Mr.  Albaugh  that  the 
mail  order  business  is  even  yet  in  its 
infancy  was  corroborated  by  other  mail 
order  men.  The  manager  of  one  of  the 
biggest  concerns  in  Chicago— a  man  who 
has  spent  the  better  part  of  his  life  in 
studying  mail  order  problems — said: 
"There  never  was  such  a  good  chance 
for  enterprising  men  to  make  good  in 
the  mail  order  field ;  because  the  seed 
has  been  sown.  A  vast  amount  of  edu- 
cational work  has  been  done  by  the  big 
mail  order  houses  and  the  country  peo- 
ple have  been  educated  into  buying 
through  the  mails.  They  make  less  mis- 
takes in  ordering  than  previously.  They 
are  less  impatient  if  a  delay  occurs  now 
and  then.  The  people  know  they  can 
buy  more  cheaply  but  at  the  same  time 
they  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  new 
firms  and  new  offers. 

"On  the  other  hand,  the  country  trade 
will  not  stand  for  glittering  promises 
which  are  not  fulfilled.  1  he  people 
know  the  purchasing  power  of  money, 
and  will  not  be  satisfied  unless  good 
value  is  given. 

"Beginners  in  the  mail  order  business 
must  take  full  note  of  conditions  in  the 
mail  order  field  today.  The  pace  has 
been  set  by  several  large,  responsible 
firms,  and  a  slower  gait  will  not  be  tol- 
erated. The  firm  which  can  'go  com- 
petitors one  better'  either  in  delivering 
goods  more  quickly  or  in  selling  more 
cheaply  is  the  one  that  will  succeed. 

GOOD  MANAGEMENT 
"SUCCESSFUL. 

"Of  course,  it  is  necessary  to  know 
how  to  handle  business  expeditiously 
when  it  comes.  Many  mail  order  men 
have  nerved  themselves  to  face  disap- 


pointment, hard  luck  and  slow  upbuild- 
ing of  a  business,  but  in  many  cases 
they  have  not  prepared  for  an  enormous 
success. 

"When  I  came  in  here,  my  firm  was 
simply  'rushed  to  death'  with  orders. 
They  had  more  business  to  handle  than 
they  could  get  out  quickly." 

Nearly  all  mail  order  men  agree  that 
the  hardest  part  in  a  mail  order  firm's 
career  is  the  start.  But  when  success 
does  come,  it  arrives  in  large  measure. 
There  is  nothing  paltry  or  half-hearted 
about  it.  One  mail  order  man  told  the 
writer  that  he  had  done  50  per  cent 
more  business  last  year  than  he  antici- 
pated, and  in  consequence  has  .moved 
into  much  larger  premises. 

One  lucky  man  on  the  south  side  was 
discovered  who  has  been  in  the  mail 
order  business  but  a  little  over  two 
years.  He  started  with  a  capital  of  but 
$2,000  and  now  claims  to  have  an  in- 
come of  $5,ooo  per  year. 

By  all  accounts  December,  1906,  was 
an  exceptionally  good  month  for  people 
in  the  mail  order  business.  The  two 
largest  mail  order  houses  in  Chicago 
have  been  employing  an  entire  night 
force  in  addition  to  the  day  staff.  The 
Chicago  Tribune  stated :  "The  success 
of  these  two  large  concerns  has  not 
passed  unnoticed,  and  there  are  a  large 
number  of  others  in  the  mail  order  line. 
The  eager  buying  of  goods  in  this  way 
has  not  been  checked  by  high  prices  of 
manufactured  articles." 

MAIL  ORDER  TRADE  LITTLE 
KNOWN. 

There  is  no  saying  just  how  many 
firms  there  are  in  the  mail  order  busi- 
ness in  Chicago.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
Chicagoans  know  next  to  nothing  about 
the  business.  Everyone  knows  of  Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.  and  Montgomery  Ward 
&  Co.,  and  yet  many  people  are  not 
aware  that  John  M.  Smyth  Co.  and 
Albaugh  Bros.,  Dover  &  Co.  dp  a  very 
large  mail  order  trade,  running  into  very 
many  millions  of  dollars  yearly. 

There  are  scores  of  medical  mail  or- 
der firms  doing  a  very  successful  busi- 
ness. These  concerns  are  scattered  all 
over  the  city.  There  are  a  number  of 
mail  order  jewelry  firms,  quite  a  few 
clothing  concerns.  There  are  a  very 
large  number  of  mail  order  firms  en- 
gaged in  miscellaneous  businesses.  Some 


io8  PRINCIPLES   OF   77/E  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 

small   firms  'do   a  profitable  business   in          Some    pessimists    say    the    mail    order 

one  room;  others  are  on  the  top  floors  business  has  reached  its  limit  and  it  will 

in  out  of  the  way  buildings  in  the  loop  not  expand   any   further.     This   appears 

district.      The    public    knows    and    hears  to  be  arrant  nonsense.     The  same  thing 

nothing    about    them    unless    they    fail,  was   said   fifteen  years  ago,   and   it  will 

which   is   seldom,   or   unless   they   attain  doubtless    be    said    fifteen    years    hence 

a  gigantic   success   like    Sears,    Roebuck  when   the   mail   order   business   of   Chi- 

&    Co.    or    Montgomery    Ward    &    Co.,  cago  will  doubtless  have  become  two  or 

which  takes  time.  three  times  as  big  as  it  is  today. 


List  of  Manufacturers,  Mail  Order  Supply 

Houses,  Etc. 


PICTURE  CATALOGUES  AND  CIRCULARS. 
The  James  Lee  Co.,  134  Van  Buren  st., 

Chicago. 

NOVELTY   CATALOGUES   AND   CIRCULARS. 
I.    Whiteson,   240   E.    Madison   st.,    Chit-ago. 
Smith  &  Smith,  Fifth  ave.,  Chicago. 
Chi. -ago    Specialty    Co.,    70    Dearborn    st., 

Chicago. 
Eureka    Trick    &    Novelty    Co.,    87    Warren 

st.,   New  York   City. 
Rex   Trade    Supply    House,    108   Fulton   St., 

New    York   City. 

Cunningham  &  Co.,   Stamford,   Conn. 
Murphy   Mfg.   Co.,   Stamford,   Conn. 
Central  Supply  Co.,   Kansas  City,  Mo. 
International    Co-operative    Co.,    New    York 

City. 

FURNITURE   CATALOGUES. 
Western   Business   Agency.    Chester,    111. 

HOUSEHOLD    UTENSILS    CATALOGUES. 
Pease  Mfg.   Co.,   Seneca  st.,  Buffalo,   N.   Y. 
American   Consumers'   Alliance,   60  Wabash 

ave.,  Chicago. 

MEDICINE   CATALOGUES. 
The  Mixers'  Guide,  Fort  Madison,  Io\va. 
Stearns    &    White    Co.,    181    Chestnut    st., 
Chicago. 

FANCY    WORK    CATALOGUE. 
De  Celle  Stamping  Co.,   Portland,   Conn. 
Saratoga   Stamping  Co.,  Victory  Mills,  X.  Y. 

BOOK   CATALOGUES   AND   CIRCULARS. 
F.    J.    Drake    &    Co.,    211    E.    Madison    St., 
Chicago. 

Will  Rossiter.  ±in  Washington  St.,  Chicago. 
Ken-  &  Co.,   56  Fifth  ave.,   Chicago. 
Thompson     &    Thomas,    338    Wabash    ave., 

Chicago. 

J.  Regan  &  Co.,  415  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago. 
Manhattan    Supply    Co.,    415    Dearborn    st., 

Chicago. 
F.   M.   Lupton,   City  Hall  place,   New  York 

City. 

C.   E.    Curtis,.  Lehigh.   N.   Y. 
Thompson     News    Co.,     415    Dearborn     st., 

Chicago. 
i:\rdsior   Pub.    Co.,    City   Hall    place,   New 

York   City. 

LADIES'    AND    CHILDREN'S    GOODS 
CATALOGUE. 

Venus    Mfg.    Co.,    134   Van   Buren   st.,    Chi- 
cago. 

COMBINATION    CATALOGUE. 
F.  W.  Smith,  Alliance,  O. 

Note.  -The  above  list  should  be  conclu- 
sive proof  that  you  can  get  a  ready-printed 
catalogue  on  most  any  line  you  'want  to 
handle.  Any  and  all  of  the  firms  listed 
above  supply  catalogues  and  other  printed 
matter  to  mail  order  dealers. 


LAMPS,    DISHES  AND   CHINA   CATALOGUE. 
W.  E.  Cummings  &  Co.,  160  State  st.,  Chi- 
cago. 

MUSIC   CATALOGUES. 
National     Music     Co.,     266    Wabash     ave., 

Chicago. 
McKinley    Music    Co.,     355    Wabash    ave., 

Chicago. 

AGENTS'   SUPPLIES. 

Andover   Stamping   Co.,    Andover,    N.   Y. 
Richardson  Mfg.  Co.,  Bath,  N.  Y. 
Godoy    &    Co.,    34    Park    Row,    New    York 

City. 
National   Novelty   Works,   60  Wabash  ave., 

Chicago. 
Household    Novelty     Works,     23    Randolph 

st.,   Chicago. 

Chelsea   Mfg.   Co.,    Chelsea,   Mich. 
Handy    Things    Co.,    Ludington,    Mich. 
Foote   Foundry   Co.,    Frederickstown,    O. 
Paxton   I-Idw.   Mfg.  Co.,  Paxton,  111. 
Agents'    Goods   Co.,   2   Elm   st.,    New   York 

City. 
Krueger    Mfg.     Co.,     155    Washington    St., 

Chicago. 

MEDICAL,     TOILET    AND    HOUSEHOLD    FOR- 
MULAS  PUT   UP   WITH   YOUR   LABEL. 
C.    W.    Howe    &    Co.,    Boylston    bldg.,    Chi- 
cago. 

NOVELTIES,     GENERAL     MERCHANDISE, 

SUPPLIES,    TOYS,    ETC. 
A.   Coulter  &   Co.,   Fifth  ave.  and  Madison 

st.,  Chicago. 

Lyon  Bros.,  250  E.  Madison  st.,  Chicago. 
Butler  Bros.,  Randolph  bridge,  Chicago. 
N.    Shure  &  Co.,   Madison  and  Market  sts., 

Chicago. 
Western    Bargain    House,   272   Madison    st., 

Chicago. 
Marshall    Field    &    Co.,    Adams    and    Fifth 

ave.,  Chicago. 
Coe,    Younge    &    Co.,    612    St.    Charles    st., 

St.   Louis,   Mo. 
Singer    Bros.,    on    the    Bowery,    New    York 

City. 
Levin    Bros.,    30   N.    6th   st.,    Terre    Haute, 

Ind. 

I.    Eisenstein,   44   Ann   st.,    New   York   City. 
W.     F.    Miller,    134    Park    Row,    New    i'ork 

City. 
A.    Guggenheim,   529   Broadway,    New   Y'ork 

City. 
Wm.    Beck   &   Sons  Co.,   10   Gavfield   place, 

Cincinnati.  O. 
Am.  Toy  &  Novelty  Co.,  959  W.  21st  place, 

Chicago. 
Selchow    &    Righter,    265    Canal    st.,    New 

York   City. 
M.    Gerber,   326  South   st.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

SILK  REMNANTS. 
H.    C.    Buchanan    &    Co.,    Box    1528,    New 

York    City. 


109 


no 


PRINCIPLES   OF    THE   MAIL-  ORDER   BUSINESS. 


ADVERTISING  NOVELTIES. 
Meek  &  Beach  Co.,  Coshoeton,  O. 

GLASS  NOVELTIES. 

Chicago  Vial  &  Mfg.  Co.,  1533  W.  Lake  st., 
Chicago. 

NOVELTY    MIRRORS    AND    CELLULOID 
SPECIALTIES. 

Parisian    Novelty    Co.,    163   Canal    St.,    Chi- 
cago. 

CHEWING  GUM. 
Allen   Mfg.   Co.,   165  Canal  st.,   Chicago. 

SEA    SHELLS. 

Mrs.   Susan  M.   Mohr,   Leal  man,  Fla. 
W.  O.  Penny,  Nathan,  Fla. 
J.   F.  Powell,  Waukegan,   111. 

TIN    BOXES. 

Gill  &  Co.,   Columbus.    O. 
Economy    Can    Co.,    Dickey    bldg.,    Chicago. 

PAPER  BOXES,   CARTONS,   LABELS,   ETC. 
H.    S.   McCrackcn   Box   &   Label   Co.,   52   W. 
Van   Buren  st.,   Chicago. 

FOUNTAIN    PENS. 

Diamond   Point   Pen    Co.,    102  Beekman  st., 
New  York. 

0.  E.   Weidlich,   Cincinnati,   O. 

JEWELRY. 

Holsman  &  Alter,  180  Madison  st.,  Chicago. 
Jos.  Brown  &  Co.,   Fifth  ave.  and  Madison 

st.,   Chicago. 

C.   H.   Eden  &  Co.,   Attleboro.    Mass. 
A.   C.   Messier  &   Co.,    Providence,   R.    I. 
Smith  Bros.,   Providence,   R.   I. 
Geo.    N.    Babington,    Edy    St.,    Providence, 

R.   I. 

WATCHES   AND    TRUST    SCHEME   JEWELRY. 

1.  M.  Bach,   109  Randolph  st.,   Chicago. 

ENVELOPES    AND    TAGS. 

Denny    Envelope    &   Tag   Co.,    18    Michigan 
st.,  Chicago. 

RINGS. 
Clarke  &  Coombs,   Providence,  R.  I. 

PRINTED   NOVELTIES. 
G.   S.   Vibbert  Co.,   Clintonville,   Conn. 
W.  S.  Everett  &  Co.,  Lynn,  Mass. 
Danihy,    Rochester,   N.   Y. 

KEY   CHECK   OUTFITS. 
S.    H.    Quint    &    Sons,    15    S.    4th    st.,    New 

York  City. 
Geo.   W.  Jopson,   Meriden,   Conn. 

PLATING  OUTFITS. 
Gray  &  Co.,   Cincinnati,  O. 

SOAP    FOR    AGENTS. 
W.   W.   Soap   Mfjr.    Co.,    McCarty   and    West 

sts.,    Indianapolis,    Ind. 
Parker   Chemical   Co.,   Madison   and   Market 

sts.,  Chicago. 
Davis  Soap  Co.,  356  Dearborn  st.,  Chicago. 

ALUMINUM  NOVELTIES. 
Aluminum   Mfg.    Co.,    Two   Rivers.    Mass. 
Florence  Mfg.  Co.,  Florence,   Mass. 


ALUMINUM    HOUSEHOLD    GOODS. 

Wagner   Mfg.    Co.,    Sidney,   O. 

FLAVORING    TABLETS,     SHEET    "BLUING 
POLISHING   CLOTHS, 

Francis  Chemical   Co.,   507   Elm  st.,   Cincin- 
nati, O. 

FORMULAE  EXPERT. 
Dr.  R.  P.  Brook,  Jamaica,  N.  Y. 

TOY  BALLOONS. 

F.  Patural  &  Co.,  16  Warren  st.,  New  York 
City. 

ELECTRIC    BELTS,    INSOLES,    ETC. 
Electric   Appliance   Co.,    Burlington,    Kas. 

WIRE    WORKERS    AND    SEA    SHELL 
NOVELTIES. 

Geo.    II.    Fuller    &   Son    Co.,    103   State   st., 

Chicago. 

Theo.    J.    Mott,   415   Dearborn    st..    Chicago. 
Joyce  Bros.,  354  Dearborn  st.,  Chicago. 
Rogers,     Thurman     &     Co.,     Powers     bidg., 
Chicago. 

5    AND    10-CENT    GOODS. 

5    and    10c    Syndicate    Co.,    440    Broadway, 
New  York  City. 

U.    S.    STAMPS   PURCHASED. 
Arthur    F,.     Swett,    Royal    Insurance    bldg., 
Chicago. 

MAIL   ORDER   PRINTING. 
Curtis   Printing   House,    Lehigh,    N.   Y. 
A.    \V.   Aurand.   Beaver,  Springs,   Pa. 
Sentinel    Pub.    Co.,   Seymour,   Mo. 
Chas.   D.    Meyes,    Berrien    Springs,    Mich. 

LETTERS   FOR  RENT. 

G.  C.    Aldrich    Co.,    :526   Dearborn    st.,    Chi- 
cago. 

C.  A.  Davis,  1634  Ohio  st.,  Chicago. 

IMITATION   TYPEWRITTEN   LETTERS. 
M.    M.    Rothschild,    96   Fifth   ave.,    Chicago. 

CUTS  FOR  ILLUSTRATING. 
Standard  Electrotype  Co.,  Wilmington,  Del. 
Spatula  Pub.  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.  , 

ADS    SET    AND    ELECTROTYPED. 
Chicago    Ad-Setting   Co.,    130   Dearborn    st., 

Chicago. 
H.    E.    Becker,   308   Dearborn   st.,    Chicago. 

HANDY  HAT   FASTENER. 
Fair   Mfg.    Co.,    Uaciue,    Wis. 

HOUSEHOLD    AND    OFFICE   WIRE   GOODS 

OF    EVERY    DESCRIPTION. 
Western   Wire   Goods   Co.,   Buffalo,    N.   Y. 
.!.    K.    Dawson   Mfg.   Co.,   1520  Palethorp  st., 

Philadelphia,    Pa. 
Kill.onrne  Mfg.   Co.,  Troy,   N.  Y. 
National   Mfg.   Co.,   Worcester,   Mass. 

DRUG   IMPORTERS   AND   MILLERS. 
Murray  &  Nickell  Mfg.  Co.,  Chicago. 

TISSUE    PAPER    SPECIALTIES. 
Dennison    Mfg.    Co.,    128   Franklin   st.,    Chi- 
cago. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL    ORDER   BUSINESS.  in 

Idea  Stimulators 

-   FOR  MAIL  ORDER  MEN   -i 

These  three  books  contain  nearly  200  pages  of  ideas, 
suggestions,  etc.,  that  can  be  selected  and  "warmed  over" 
into  a  good  paying  mail  order  scheme.  The  three  books 
will  be  sent  on  receipt  of  only  $1.00  or  your  choice  for  50c. 

JUST  MONEY  MAKERS 

Is  a  collection  of  formulas,  schemes  and  plans  for  the  use  of  mail  order 
dealers  and  canvassing  agents.  Complete  directions  with  each  formula  and 
plan  as  to  where  to  buy  the  ingredients,  and  cost  of  same.  By  Chas.  W.  Howe. 

MY  SILENT   PARTNER 

The  information  given  in  this  book  is  worth  a  fortune  to  any  man  or  woman 
of  sufficient  energy  to  start  and  persevere  in  any  one  or  more  of  the  business 
opportunities  herein  set  forth.  We  have  made  everything  so  clear  and  used 
such  plain  language  that  any  person  who  can  read  will  easily  understand  it. 

In  the  back  of  this  book  will  be  found  a  number  of  Trade  Secrets,  which 
alone  are  worth  many  times  its  price. 

SCHEMES  FROM   SMITH'S  PARTNER 

Being  a  choice  collection  of  mail  order  schemes  with  instructions  how  to 
advertise  them.  The  advertisement,  circulars,  etc.,  are  all  written  out.  Many 
good  ideas  easy  to  follow. 


The  above   three   books  for  $1.OO  or  your  choice  for  50c. 


A.  E.  SWETT 

Royal     Insurance     Building 
CHICAGO 


H2  PRINCIPLES   OF   THE   MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 

A  Course  of  Eight  Lessons  in 
Mail  Order  Advertising  $3.00 


To  those  who  want  to  study  the  technicalities  of  mail  order 
advertising,  the  following  announcement  of  the  Chicago  College  of 
Advertising,  of  which  I  am  manager,  will  be  of  interest. 

They  are  now  offering  a  separate  course  in  this  branch  of 
advertising.  This  course  consists  of  eight  lessons  on  mail  order 
advertising,  taken  from  the  regular,  complete  course  of  the  Chicago 
College  of  Advertising,  which  covers  all  branches  of  advertising. 

The  course  in  mail  order  advertising  will  instruct  you  fully  in 
the  preparation  of  all  kinds  of  mail  order  literature.  It  will  teach 
you  to  write  ads,  booklets,  circulars,  form  letters,  etc.,  that  pull. 
It  will  teach  you  how  to  follow  up  inquiries  in  a  way  to  land  the 
largest  possible  percentage  of  orders.  It  covers  every  phase  of 
the  subject  from  writing  and  designing  the  ad  to  keeping  records 
by  the  card  system. 

The  lessons  have  been  prepared  by  some  of  the  most  success- 
ful mail  order  advertisers  in  the  country.  You  will  have  the  per- 
sonal instruction  and  criticism  of  the  manager  of  this  college,  who 
is  well  known  as  an  advertising  agent  and  advertising  writer  who 
makes  a  specialty  of  mail  order  advertising. 

No  other  branch  of  advertising  has  such  a  bright  future  before 
it  as  has  mail  order  advertising.  There  is  no  other  branch  of  the 
advertising  business  that  offers  larger  salaries  to  the  competent 
advertising  writer  and  manager.  The  young  man  or  woman  who 
can  produce  results  is  always  in  demand  by  the  big  mail  order  con- 
cerns, and  is  paid  a  generous  salary.  Or,  you  can  use  this  knowl- 
edge in  a  mail  order  business  of  your  own.  In  this  way  you  receive 
all  the  profits  that  come  from  your  knowledge  and  skill. 

If  you  intend  to  go  in  the  mail  order  business,  or  to  start  a 
mail  order  department  of  your  regular  business,  this  course  will 
teach  you  how  to  shape  up  the  proposition  in  order  to  get  a  profit- 
able volume  of  orders.  By  taking  this  course  you  will  .save  many 
times  its  cost.  You  can  write  your  own  literature,  instead  of  pay- 
ing a  large  fee  to  an  expert — you  will  be  an  expert  yourself. 

They  send  the  complete  course  of  eight  lessons  on  mail  order 
advertising,  including  personal  instruction  and  criticism,  for  $3.00. 
The  price  of  the  forty  lessons  in  a  complete  advertising  course  is 
$40.00,  so  you  see  this  is  a  bargain  offer. 

If  you  mean  to  go  in  the  mail  order  business,  you  should  take 
advantage  of  this  chance.  Not  only  wilt  the  course  make  you  a 
good  ad  writer,  but  it  will  make  you  a  good  correspondent  as  well. 
Good  correspondence  is  one  of  the  most  important  features  of  the 
mail  order  business. 


PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS.  113 


Here  is  a  Synopsis  of  the  Eight 
Lessons  Comprising  the  Course: 


Lesson  No.  I. — How  to  lay  out  an  advertisement.  The  careful 
use  of  costly  space.  How  to  save  time.  Diagrammatic  method. 
Examples  in  successful  use.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  2. — Mail  order  advertising.  Importance  of  the  mail 
order  business.  Success  particularly  depends  on  the  advertising 
manager.  No  chance  for  display  of  goods,  advertising  must  take 
its  place.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  3. — On  preparation  of  booklets.  Application  for  a 
booklet  by  advertiser  a  positive  asset.  The  bait  that  lands  the  fish. 
How  to  collect  material.  Proportions.  Characteristics,  etc.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  4. — The  follow-up  system.  A  most  powerful  fac- 
tor. What  it  includes.  Methods  to  be  pursued.  Material  to  be 
used,  etc.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  5. — The  inquiry  bringer.  What  causes  merchant  to 
advertise.  Audience  to  be  reached.  Human  curiosity  always  fresh. 
Inducements  that  will  bring  inquiry,  etc.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  6. — Card  system  and  tracing  results.  No  hap- 
hazard methods.  Card  system  at  your  elbow  every  moment.  Results 
must  be  only  test  of  success.  Problem. 

Lesson  No.  7. — Keeping  records  and  statistics.  Absolute  infor- 
mation, not  guesswork,  the  only  way.  Hard  work  and  careful 
planning  certain  to  win  out.  Methods  of  handling  facts,  etc. 
Problem. 

Lesson  No.  8. — The  placing  of  advertising  contracts  with  publi- 
cations of  general  circulation.  How  to  secure  best  rates.  Two 
distinct  classes.  Kind  of  letters  to  write  publishers,  etc.  Problem. 

Send  $3.00  any  safe  way,  and  the  lessons  will  begin  at  once. 


CHICAGO   COLLEGE  OF   ADVERTISING 

ARTHUR   SWETT,    MANAGER    . 
Royal  Insurance  Building  .  CHICAGO 


ii4  PRINCIPLES   OF   THE  MAIL   ORDER   BUSINESS. 

Four  Big  Bargains 


Retail  Advertising  Course  $1.00 

Test  book  of  Advertising  school— tells 
how  to  write  retail  advertisements  from 
the  ground  up.  Will  teach  merchants 
and  business  men  to  write  their  own 
advertisements.  No  teacher  necessary. 
Fully  illustrated,  over  100  pages.  Send 
$1.00  today. 


Learn  Shorthand  in  30  Days  for  $1.00 


Boyd's  Syllabic  Shorthand  can  be 
learned  at  home.  Great  thing  for  busi- 
ness men,  lawyers  and  other  profession- 
al men.  Use  it  in  your  business.  No 
teacher  needed.  Oblleges  charge  $10.00 
to  $20.00.  I  charge  only  $1.00  for  great 
book  that  enables  you  to  learn  it  at 
home.  Money  back  if  not  satisfied. 
Only  a  few  copies  left. 


25  Years  in  the  Mail-Order  Business 

or  the  Experiences  of  a  Mail-Order  Man 


Over  150  pages,  intensely  interesting 
and  instructive.  Tells  what  schemes  he 
ran,  what  success  he  had  and  tells  the 
ups  and  downs  in  this  fascinating,  in- 
teresting business.  Written  by  James 
Lee,  the  veteran  mail-order  man.  A 
book  for  the  beginner  as  well  as  the  old 
timer.  Price  50  cents. 


Learn  Newspaper  and  Story  Writing 


I  have  a  few  courses  of  the  N.  W. 
School  of  Journalism.  Teaching,  re- 
porting, writing  of  special  articles, 
short  stories,  etc.  17  complete  lessons 
and  full  instructions  how  to  get  and 
hold  positions  on  newspapers,  how  and 
where  to  sell  your  manuscripts,  etc. 
All  for  $1.00.  Big  bargain. 


Any  of  the  above  will  be  sent  on  receipt  of  price  or  the 
entire  collection  for  $3.00. 

Extra  Bargain. — Send  $6.00  and  I  will  send  you  all  of 
the  above  books,  also  all  books  mentioned  on  page  in  and 
also  the  mail  order  course  of  the  Chicago  College  of 
Advertising. 


ARTHUR  E.  SWETT 

518  Royal  Insurance  Building  *  CHICAGO 


FORM  NO.  DD6 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


442711 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


